


Se Brûler

by Evaldrynn (ArtsyFartsy)



Series: Se Brûler [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: 1 year after surfacing of monsters, Blushing Grillby, But not quite yet haha, Definitely some hurt/comfort like stuff, F/M, Fluff, Grillby doesn't have children, Ho boy there's the smut, I just needed more Grillby love, More tags as I go, Not a really slow burn but hopefully not too fast, Not really a thick plot, Post-Pacifist Route, Protective Grillby, Reader Is Not Frisk, Sins for all you sinners, Some hurt/comfort like stuff?, Trigger warning for irresponsible alcohol usage, Trigger warnings for slight blood/gore and stuff like that but nothing too much, cursing, frisk is genderless, possibly smut in the future, reader is female, sexy dreams, sort of angst, trigger warnings for violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-27
Updated: 2016-10-21
Packaged: 2018-07-10 15:05:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 34
Words: 105,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6990355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtsyFartsy/pseuds/Evaldrynn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A springtime storm forces you to look for shelter in the park, where you happen to stumble upon a certain man of fire. </p><p> </p><p>I don't really have a structured plotline with twists and turns in mind, I was just in need of some Grillby and some fluff. It's all pretty predictable and there's not much of a slow burn either, but I hope I don't go too fast S:</p><p>(Edit: eyy I did some plot stuff, I'm so proud of myself :D )</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Surprise Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys like it! please let me know if there are any typos and stuff, I'll fix it right away ^^

The rain was pouring down like there was no tomorrow, soon flooding the streets and creating waterfalls from the rooftops. Water mixing with hail terrorized everyone outside, and you were lucky enough to be one of them. You had been walking home from work when the Gods decided to ruin your day even further, drenching your whole being to the core and freezing you to death with the cold wind that pushed and pulled on your body, with absolutely no form of shelter in sight. It was still a long way home but you could barely see - the curtain of water blurred everything that was further than a couple of meters from your face, and you had trouble keeping your eyes open against the attack from above. 

They hadn’t predicted a storm this heavy. It had been pretty warm and sunny, the kind of weather you would imagine at the word ‘spring’, and every flower and tree had been blooming, filling the town with beautiful colours and enticing smells. You wondered how much of that would be washed away, until a loud clap of thunder remembered you of your mission. You had to find some kind of shelter, and soon, or you were pretty sure you were going to die of hypothermia. The problem was - you had actually no idea where you were. 

The town wasn’t too big but it wasn’t small either. It would take at least an hour to traverse it from north to south on foot. Under normal circumstances and with nice weather, that is. 

Suddenly you recognised the silhouette of a large oak tree, and you knew which way to head. There was a large gazebo in the middle of the park – it was your only chance for shelter, and with the last bit of energy you had left you ran as fast as you could. The park was one of your favourite things about this village, though the view of Mt. Ebott wasn’t too bad either, and you had spent many hours just walking around or reading a book in the pleasant silence that it had to offer. Right now, however, that pleasant silence was buried beneath the loud whooshing of water and wind and the occasional rumble of thunder.

Your hair was plastered to your face and your clothes felt like sandpaper against your skin but you were able to ignore it, albeit with some difficulty, and soon the familiar structure appeared through the blue haze. You threw yourself up the stairs gracelessly and stood there for a moment, bent over, hands on your knees, trying to catch your breath as the excess water streamed down from your nose and chin and created a puddle at your feet. Running wasn’t exactly your favourite thing in the world, and the lovely stings in your sides that came afterwards weren’t that great either. Well at least you had worked off today’s lunch, right?  
When you looked up you jumped, giving a short yelp of surprise when you suddenly came face to face with a man made of fire. Your heart skipped multiple beats and adrenaline rushed through you as your body prepared the fight or flight response, but you quickly got yourself together again and let out a short laugh to rid yourself of most of the shock. 

The flaming man eyed you with worry and slight panic. “I am sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” 

His voice was deep, with a fire-like undertone to it, and it caught you off guard a bit before you realised you had to respond. 

“Oh no, don’t worry about it! It’s okay, really.” You smiled warmly at him (no pun intended) and noticed the eyes behind his glasses – well, lighter coloured fire in the shape of eyes. His jawline was sharp up until where his ears would be, there the fire spread into the flames on top of his head, and it certainly was a sight to look at. He wore a long, dark grey coat that complemented his reds and oranges beautifully, and fit his body well. If it hadn’t been rude you would have been able to stare at him for ages, but alas, it wasn’t socially acceptable. You averted your gaze and turned your head to look at the curtain of water that seemed to shield the gazebo from the outside world, as if it existed in its own dimension. It didn’t look like it would stop raining anytime soon. 

“I guess we’ll be stuck here for a while,” You turned back to him and gave him a bright smile and your outstretched hand, “so I might as well introduce myself. I’m ____, nice to meet you.” 

He seemed to hesitate for a moment and you wondered if you had been too imposing, too quick with the whole introduction thing. Or maybe he was scared of humans? It had been a year since the monsters had appeared from underneath the mountain, but you knew things weren’t going well between the races yet. There were anti-monster activists and all kinds of other douchebags that felt the need to spread hate and destruction wherever they went, and the state hadn’t quite made up its mind yet about what rights the monsters were allowed to have. It would only be logical for him to be scared of you, and you would respect his boundaries like you would with any person – human or not. But the hesitation didn’t last long as he took your hand. 

“Grillby.” 

There was a sizzling noise and a cloud of swirling steam rose from both of your hands, urging you to jerk your hand back immediately. 

“Oh my god are you hurt? I am so sorry, I should have known- “ 

He had immediately held up his hands in defence and taken a step back, as if _he_ was apologising to _you_ , but his hands slightly fell at your words. 

“Are you okay? I didn’t mean to hurt you! I’m sorry, that was stupid of me. Water, fire, it should have been obvious. It’s probably why you’re stuck here as well. Am I being rude? I’m being rude aren’t I? I am so, so sorry -” 

A soft crackle and the slight shaking of his shoulders cut your rambling short. Was he... snickering? You just looked at him, dumbfounded. You had thought you had offended him, but his laugh proved otherwise, and it was mesmerizing to say the least. The way the flames atop of his head popped as if to emphasize his amusement, you couldn’t keep your eyes off of it. He found his composure again but you swore he was smiling, though you didn’t quite know how you could read his face. 

“I'm fine.” 

“Oh thank the Gods.” The words left your mouth together with a sigh of relief, and the muscles in your shoulders relaxed. You frowned slightly as you remembered his reaction. “Then why did you jump back?”

“I... I was afraid that my touch had scared you.”

His thoughts had apparently gone in the complete opposite direction as yours. He hadn’t been afraid of you, a human, but had thought that you were afraid of him, a monster. It wasn’t irrational, seeing as most people were afraid of both monsters and fire - and a combination of the two would probably give them instant panic attacks – but you weren’t afraid of them. You hadn’t met many, even though your town was full of them, but the ones you had met had only been kind to you. Monsters and humans mostly kept to themselves, though, and the part of town closest to the mountain had been regarded as monster territory ever since they surfaced. You had been living in the middle of town, not too far from ‘monster territory’ but at least a couple of blocks away, enough to be surrounded by humans only. It was kind of sad, now you thought about it. The monsters had probably had so many unfriendly encounters, Grillby (that was his name, right? Or was it Grilly?) included. 

“I guess we were both wrong.” 

He seemed to let go of some tension as well, now that you had admitted not be scared of him. You felt slightly obliged to make it up to him, so you stuck out your hand once more.

“Let’s re-do that, and let’s do it right this time.” 

You could see his smile getting wider and he took your hand once more, shaking it properly this time. There was no sizzling or steam coming from your hands as most of the water had evaporated from last time, so you could focus on other things. The gentle strength that you could feel in his grip, for example, or the pleasant warmth that seemed only a couple of degrees warmer than normal body temperature. It felt almost exactly like skin, only the soft movement of his flames against your own hand was something that set it apart. It was truly fascinating. There was so much you wanted to know, so much you wanted to ask, but you were afraid of being rude. Maybe asking about his flames would be like asking about someone’s skin colour. 

“You’re not afraid of being burned.” 

It was both a statement and a question, and you lifted your eyes from his hand to his face. 

“I didn’t think a handshake would be harmful.” You smiled, hoping that he felt at ease. “Actually, I didn’t really think at all. I guess I felt like you would have warned me if you couldn’t shake hands.” 

It was in your nature to be polite to others, and shaking hands with a stranger was part of that. It didn’t matter whether the stranger was a guy or a girl, an adult or a child, a human or a monster. It felt good to get a smile from someone that you knew you had caused, and Grillby’s smile was certainly worth it. He gave an understanding nod and you could see something like gratitude in his eyes. Suddenly you realised you had been holding his hand all this time. You were almost reluctant to let go but loosened your grip anyway, afraid that the blush that was starting to bloom on your face would become noticeable, and let your hand fall back to your side. You immediately missed the warmth of his touch and you were reminded of how cold you actually were, your hair and clothes still soaked. 

You took a couple of steps away from him before you took off your coat and started wringing out your shirt, just to be careful - the water from your hand hadn’t been enough to hurt him but you didn’t want to risk any injuries from splashing water coming from your clothes. It was quite useless, however, as you couldn’t exactly take off your pants and wring them out as well, and you could only get half of the rain out of your shirt, leaving it damp and sticky. You could feel your body taking action against the cold, goosebumps spreading down your arms and shivers starting to increase in intensity. 

“Here.” 

You turned around to see Grillby holding out his coat to you, his gaze averted and a soft blue on his cheeks. It was probably his way of blushing and you thought it was actually pretty cute, before realising that there was a reason for him to blush. You looked down at the shirt that clung to your frame and saw that your bra, much like the rest of your chest, was clearly visible, and your face instantly turned strawberry red. You took his coat and quickly turned around. 

It was obviously too big for you, its sleeves hanging over your hands and the bottom falling over your knees, but it was still warm from his body and pretty damn comfortable. You let out a content sigh and turned around, thinking you had your blush under control. You were wrong. He was looking at you, the blue still colouring his face and the back of a hand trying to cover it, and now you could see how well-dressed he was. Your eyes fell on his chest, on his white dress shirt that hung slightly loose yet fit him perfectly, making him pretty damn attractive. 

His blush grew, the flames on his head slightly rising in height, and you were reminded of the fact you had been blatantly staring. Wow, a concrete floor. Who knew it could be so interesting. Better keep staring at it until your face returns to a normal colour. 

“Thank you, by the way.” You smiled but only made eye contact for less than a second. 

He gave a nod, the small smile back on his face, and walked over to the centre of the gazebo where he sat down on the floor. You hesitated for a second, not wanting to make this more awkward than it already was, but followed anyway to sit down beside him at a respectable distance – not too close but not too far.  
You were close enough to feel some of his warmth, however, and you were grateful that you had met a fire elemental and not an ice elemental (did that even exist?) on a day like this. With your knees pulled up to your chest and your chin tucked into the coat you tried to preserve as much of the warmth as possible, and for a while the two of you just sat there in comfortable silence, listening to the thunder and rain. 

After about half an hour of being lost in thought you found your way back to reality, only to notice that the rain was continuing to fall at a steady pace. Who knew how long it would take for it to stop? You turned your head to look at Grillby, who answered your glance. 

“It might be hours before the rain stops. I think my mobile phone still works, is there anyone I can call for you?” 

You didn’t really know what that someone could do, an umbrella probably wouldn’t be big enough and a raincoat didn’t quite seem to be an option either as it wouldn’t protect his face, hands, or legs. Grillby seemed to give it a thought. 

“We can wait a little longer, to see if the sky clears.” 

You nodded but doubted that would happen anytime soon. Hopefully he didn’t have anywhere important to go. 

“So what is it you do? Do you have a job?” 

It was a small risk to ask this question. Not many companies would hire monsters, and you didn’t know whether there were many jobs in the monster part of town. His clothing told you he wasn’t homeless, so that was some kind of reassurance, but you still held your breath until he answered. Much to your surprise he seemed to lighten up, literally, as his flames grew slightly higher and brighter. 

“I have a bar in the east part of town.” 

“What’s it called?” 

“Grillby’s.” 

You let out a soft chuckle. “I should have known.” 

“You are always welcome.” 

His invitation made you smile wider, and you couldn’t help but feel happy about it. In some way it meant a lot to you, to be invited to a monster bar in the monster part of town, and you weren’t going to turn it down. 

“I’ll be sure to come by sometime.” 

His flames brightened again for a moment and you noticed his smile. You liked his smile, even though it wasn’t really visible as his face was fire (it puzzled you how you could read his expressions so well, maybe it was all about body language?), and you wondered what his laugh would sound like. You had heard him chuckle, so you guessed it would be something like that, but you still hoped you could hear it. You hoped it would be you who made him laugh. 

“What about you?”

“Retail, sadly. My boss isn’t the greatest and the customers are often rude. It doesn’t pay that well either. But my colleagues are pretty cool, and I’m glad I have at least some kind of income.”

The two of you talked for quite a while – well you were the one who did most of the talking, but he didn’t seem to mind. You slightly did, however, as you liked his voice, but you didn’t let it show. It was probably weird enough already that you were talking so much about yourself to a guy you had met only hours ago. Yet you felt comfortable around him. Maybe it was because of his calm composure, his hypnotising flames, or maybe because of his manners. He was a true gentleman, giving you his coat and all (though you guessed he didn’t need it to stay warm), and he was a good listener. He made you laugh when he told about his friend Sans, who never paid his tab, and his brother Papyrus, who hated his food. 

“I bet it’s delicious, don’t let his opinion get you down,” you assured him with a smile. He chuckled and you drank in the sound and sight of it, trying very hard not to stare at him for too long. You started to like him more than you liked to admit. 

When a comfortable silence fell between the two of you, you became aware of the sounds of your surroundings once more. Well, the lack of sound. You looked around, confusion causing your face to frown slightly.

“When did it stop raining?” 

“About half an hour ago.” 

Your head snapped back and you looked him in his eyes, shocked. His amusement was written all over his face and posture, and you could see he was holding back a laugh. Were you really that oblivious? You quickly scrambled to your feet while stuttering an apology, taking off his coat and grabbing yours. 

“Shit, I didn’t mean to keep you from being on your way. Half an hour...”

He took the coat from your hands and you noticed that this was the closest you had stood to him. If you lifted your hand and stretched your arm a bit you could touch his chest - _not_ that you wanted to. Nope. His voice pulled you back to your senses. 

“I didn’t mind.” 

And there you were, staring at his face, unable to mutter a word and probably blushing like an idiot – until your stomach decided this silence was the right moment to make noises that didn’t sound unlike a dying whale. 

“I guess that bar of yours isn’t open today?” 

You tried to put some confidence in your voice but it sounded like an awkward stutter, making you want to punch yourself in the face. With a brick. Grillby’s smile grew, however, and you were almost sure you could see a light hint of blue. 

“I can make an exception.” 

Before you could protest about how you didn’t want to trouble him for something as silly as food he had already put on his coat, looking back at you over his shoulder. You took a couple of quick steps until you stood next to him, and so the two of you started walking towards the monster district.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are my lifeline, kudos keep my heart beating <3


	2. Good Food and a Warm Welcome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sky has cleared and Grillby shows you his bar, where you meet a certain bag of bones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, thank you so much for all of the comments and kudos! I appreciate it _so_ much, it really keeps me going.  
>  I hope this chapter is as enjoyable as the last one, but every critique and review is welcome, it gives me the opportunity to write better stories for you to enjoy!  
> If you spot any typos, please let me know, I'll fix it right away!
> 
> Now as for this chapter, I changed the layout and the interior of the bar quite a bit (I took some inspiration from English pubs which I've visited lately), but you can imagine it anyway you like. 
> 
> Please enjoy!

Even though the storm seemed to have passed you couldn’t help but glance upwards every couple of minutes. What if it suddenly started raining again and the two of you had nowhere to go? You were pretty sure it would injure him pretty badly if not kill him right away, and you wouldn’t be able to help. You knew next to nothing about magic or monsters, let alone how to bandage the wounds of a man made of fire – hell, you didn’t even know the number of the monster ambulance service. You made a mental note to put that in your phone as soon as you came home, just to be sure. 

Grillby seemed to have noticed your uncomfortable upward glances, and his voice startled you a bit when your eyes were once again aimed at the sky. 

“It’s not much further.” 

When you shifted your gaze to his face you could see his reassuring smile, his flames dancing calmly and loosening the tight knot in your chest. Maybe it was a feigned laid-back composure, but you felt the anxiousness lessen. If he was confident enough to be walking around in the open air, then why shouldn’t you be? It wasn’t much further, anyway. Your lips pulled up in a soft smile and you gave him a short nod, not sure what to do with your eyes now. You could see him in your peripheral vision but you didn’t dare to look, and you didn’t want to keep looking at the ground either, afraid it might come over as rude or ill-mannered, so you let your eyes scan your surroundings instead. 

You had stepped over the invisible line that marked the end of human territory a while ago, yet you hadn’t noticed any major differences. Most of the monsters had moved into the apartments and houses that the original inhabitants had moved out of. You remembered the sudden massive migration from people from the east side of town to other parts or even other cities, the congestions consisting mostly of moving trucks and cargo vans. For a whole week the streets had been filled with the sounds of loud claxons, angry yelling, and crying children, as people were desperate to get as far away from the mountain and the monsters as possible. 

It wasn’t all bad, however. Because of the sudden abandonment, the houses and apartments dropped in price dramatically. All local house-selling companies thought they were doomed to never sell a house in that part of town again, allowing the monsters to move into pretty luxurious places for only a small percentage of the original price. Most of them came with large gardens or multiple bedrooms, which was perfect for the larger families, and there were enough detached houses for the happily wed or just plain loud creatures. You had even heard that some of the mansions that stood on the border of village and forest had been turned into all kinds of facilities, such as a monster orphanage, daycare, and school. The monsters had taken over existing facilities as well, such as the local bakery and multiple grocery stores. Grillby’s bar probably fit in the same category. 

The large sign was visible in the distance and you could sense that the man next to you was growing a bit brighter. It was obvious that he loved his job and it brought a smile (and a slight blush) to your face when you realised he had invited you to something he held so dearly. As you approached the building your eyes scanned over it. It was quite large, connected to the next building on the right and bordered by a small alleyway on the left. Large, white-framed windows took up most of the dark-brick front, only interrupted by a large door. A dark slab above the windows and entrance stretched horizontally across the front, spelling the name ‘Grillby’s’ in large, tangerine letters. All together it reminded you of a fancy but casual pub. You could easily imagine the warm light coming from behind the windows, the soft chatter audible from the pavement, the smell of delicious food flavouring the evening air as the door opens and closes with every new customer. For now, the pub was dormant, no light coming from within and the sign behind the window on the door still turned to ‘closed’. 

The jangling of keys caught your attention and you watched Grillby open the door before holding it open for you with a smile. You let out a soft chuckle and made a small curtsy before entering, letting your eyes wander around the place immediately. The beams of white light falling through the windows gave the otherwise dark place something mysterious, otherworldly. It was beautiful, and it felt as if you were seeing something far more intimate than the usual scenery in a pub or restaurant. 

There were two booths against both the left and right wall, the couches made of a red, soft-looking not-quite-leather-not-quite-fabric (you figured it was a monster thing) and the tables made of solid mahogany. The multiple tables of different sizes and shapes, encircled by chairs, were of the same dark, durable wood and seemed polished and absolutely spotless. Barstools stood in a neat line in front of the bar in the back. Right of the bar was a medium sized stage with a piano and room enough for at least two or three other people. Against the wall in front of the podium stood an old-looking jukebox and you couldn’t help but smile when you noticed it. 

While Grillby made his way to the bar you took off your coat, hanging it on one of the hooks on the rack next to the door. You were glad that the warmth of Grillby’s coat had dried your shirt to the extent that it wasn’t see-through anymore, making you confident enough to walk around coatless - though the incident still made you blush when you thought about it. You quickly tried to suppress it again and turned around to see Grillby reaching for the switch on the wall behind the bar.  
Just for a second, time seemed to stand still – the bar was empty, and the contrast between the white light from the windows and the warm reds and oranges coming from the monster was breathtakingly beautiful. He was the heart of the bar, the living centre, the dreamlike warmth in the cold of reality. Suddenly the lights turned on, flooding the room with a warm light not unlike his, yet definitely different. You had to admit, this was probably one of the loveliest places in town, the atmosphere was just so rich and comforting, and you couldn’t wait to see it filled with happy faces. 

You remembered Grillby hadn’t yet turned the sign to ‘open’, and seeing as you were still standing close to the door you offered to do it for him. He gave a nod and left through a door left of the shelves filled with unusually shaped bottles, so you turned the sign and made your way to one of the barstools. The round cushion that covered the wooden seat seemed to be of the same material as the booth benches and was surpisingly soft and comfortable. To your delight it was the turning type of chair – but after a few spins you realised that might not have been the best idea, a dizzy headache immediately pounding in your head. 

“who are you?” 

You almost fell off the chair and your disoriented self searched for the person to whom the voice belonged. On the stool right of you sat a skeleton, eyeing you suspiciously with tiny white pinpricks scanning your face. It took a few seconds before the room stopped spinning completely and before you actually realised he had asked you a question, so you hurriedly gave him your name. 

“not many humans come here, y’know, and if they do it’s usually by accident.” 

It was a hidden accusation of some sorts, questioning your intentions by coming here, and you couldn’t blame him. Skeleton monsters were probably much more feared than other kinds of monsters, and you could only imagine how horrible some of his encounters with humans must have been. 

“I met Grillby in the park and he invited me here. I’m absolutely famished and I can’t wait to taste his food - I think he’s in the back at the moment, he only just opened the bar so I guess he’s turning on the ovens.” You tried to sound casual, as if you were just having a conversation, and you gave him a kind smile. You weren’t going to behave differently towards a monster than towards a human, though his slightly squinted eyes made you feel a bit nervous. The skeleton looked you over for a last time but apparently decided you weren’t going to cause any trouble, and seemingly relaxed. 

“sans the skeleton. nice to meet ya, kid.” 

“You’re Sans!” You exclaimed after his introduction, remembering the things Grillby had told you about him and his brother. 

“uh, yeah? i kinda said so just a second ago-“ 

“No, no,” you interrupted his confused muttering, “Grillby mentioned you. You never pay your tab.” You smiled teasingly, and soon Sans’ smile grew as well. 

“i will pay it. ...someday. maybe.” His grin was playful now and you let out a chuckle, glad you had been able to warm him up to you. You heard another, lower chuckle from right beside you and you turned your head to see Grillby behind the bar, completely in bartender outfit - and holy shit did it look good on him. You realised he could probably wear anything and still look damn fine in it. You quickly shifted your gaze to his face and smiled, hoping you hadn’t been staring long enough for it to be noticed.

“So, what’s on the menu?” You had tried to ignore the increasingly violent rumbling of your stomach, but the thought of food only made it worse. 

“Burgers and fries.” 

Sans and Grillby had some weird eye contact for a split second, as if there was a silent conversation between the two of them that both could understand without uttering a word, leaving you slightly confused. The moment was gone before you knew it and the elemental returned his attention to you like he had never shifted it. 

“Can I have a burger and a small portion of fries, then? I feel like I could eat a whole building.” 

Another soft chuckle shook his shoulders lightly and he nodded, after which he went back to the kitchen. Your eyes followed him until he was out of sight, and only Sans clearing his throat pulled you back to reality. 

“i don’t blame ya.” His grin was sly and almost sent a shiver down your spine, hadn’t it been for the playful posture. You frowned slightly, you head cocked to the side a bit. 

“For what?” 

“for getting all _hot and bothered_.” 

Your face turned red in an instant, perfectly knowing what he was talking about – as if the pun couldn’t make it any more obvious. Your eyes grew slightly wider and you shook your head. 

“N-no, I’m just hungry, that’s all.” 

“i can see that.” The tone in his voice, combined with the baritone chuckle that followed, convinced you that this, too, was an innuendo. You quickly tried to change the subject. 

“So, your brother - Papyrus, right? He doesn’t like the food here?” 

“nah, thinks it’s a grease trap. don’t know why though, grillbz’ food is the best. not to mention that the bartender is _smokin’ hot_.”

The eyebrow wiggle left you speechless. How he did it, no idea – you didn’t even know how he had gotten in so quickly and without you noticing, but you just accepted it as it was. Probably magic, or whatever. The pun made you smile involuntarily, and even when you tried to keep the corners of your lips down in a stern expression, they kept creeping upwards. It must have looked ridiculous as the skeleton in front of you burst out laughing, doubling over and clutching his stomach. You snorted, trying to hold back your own laughter, but failing miserably as his laugh was dangerously contagious. It was absolutely absurd, nonsensical, and unbelievably silly, the two of you roaring with laughter like it was the last thing you did – and it felt amazing.

After the two of you had calmed down Grillby entered the room again, holding a plate of steaming hot fries and a delicious looking burger, and another plate with fries that you guessed were for Sans. You could feel how your mouth started watering and you hoped you wouldn’t start drooling like an idiot, embarrassing yourself even further than you already had. When he put the plate down in front of you it took all of your self-control to keep you from shoving the whole burger into your mouth immediately – instead, you waited for him to put down Sans’ plate as well, like etiquette demanded, and slowly started on your food. The first bite was another obstacle, another point at which you had a very hard time keeping yourself from wolfing it down in a matter of seconds, as the taste exploded in your mouth. Your brain produced so many endorphins that you closed your eyes for a second, smiling in pure bliss and letting out a soft sigh of complete delight. 

You had to admit you were eating faster than you normally would, but you just couldn’t help it. You hadn’t expected it to be _this_ good, especially not for something as simple as fast food. You noticed Sans was watching Grillby and Grillby was watching you, intently. You quickly swallowed and smiled the best smile you could muster without looking like a freak.

“This is the best burger I have ever tasted in my whole life. It’s amazing, I don’t know how you do it. The taste is just so rich and wonderful, it’s difficult to keep myself from swallowing it whole! And the texture is perfect, and it tastes so fresh!” 

With every word Grillby’s blush had grown more prominent, a definite blue now on his cheeks. You took another bite and gave him a thumbs up to make up for your disability to speak at the moment, focussing on the food again.  
Within five minutes your plate was completely empty, not a single fry left to be devoured, and your stomach was delightfully full once more. You let out another content sigh and leaned your face in the palms of your hands, your elbows resting on the bar. You knew that the slight food coma would settle within the minute and a lazy smile wouldn’t leave your face. You shifted your gaze back to the man of fire and giggled softly. 

“I’ll **_definitely_** be coming back here.” 

Sans chuckled when Grillby lifted his hand to hide his blush, and you chuckled with him. It was adorable, and you felt better than you had in weeks, maybe even months. The tension in your neck and shoulders had diminished, though sadly not completely disappeared, and you softly rubbed the nape of your neck, still feeling the knot. 

“maybe grillbz here can give you a massage? i bet his hands can _melt_ the tension away.”

You snorted at his pun, the grin inevitable, and shook your head. “Is it me or are your puns just getting worse and worse?” 

But before he could answer the door swung open and a whole pack of dogs entered the building, loudly barking their greetings and wagging their tails in excitement. Within minutes, the bar was filled with customers, and you were the only human there. Even though you felt as much excitement as the dogs at this point, you couldn’t help but feel slightly unwelcome. Some of the patrons glanced your way from the corner of their eyes, talking softly to the ones next or in front of them. It made you feel small, aware of yourself and everyone around you, and a bit of an intruder. You wanted to show them that you were alright, that you didn’t mean to be rude or to invade their space. 

Sans’ smile fell slightly at the look in your eyes and gave a short nod, both to you and to himself, before turning around on his stool and loudly clearing his throat. The noise diminished quickly and all eyes were turned on you and the skeleton now.

“hey everyone, this is _____. _____, this is everyone.” 

“Hi,” you waved awkwardly and tried to smile as kindly as possible, ignoring the slight nervousness swirling in your belly. What you hadn’t expected were the loud greetings and enthusiastic waves in your direction, with happy and inviting smiles beaming your way and a bunch of voices inviting you over to their tables and booths. 

“c’mon, kid, it’s time to meet the others. if you’re gonna be here more often you ought to know at least some of us.”

You nodded, and your smile spread from ear to ear. You weren’t unwanted here - you were quite welcome, even. You turned to look at Grillby, your whole face lit up by your smile and the pain in your shoulders forgotten. 

“Thank you.” 

Your words went deeper than sincerity - you felt like you could finally get to know this community. He smiled back at you, a hint of blue still on his cheeks, and with a last chuckle you turned around and followed Sans to the bouncing dogs at the table in the middle of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading!  
> Comments are to my soul what blood is to my body, kudos keep my lungs breathing <3
> 
> Just some things I'm not sure about yet!  
> Do you guys want a Reader that is able to play the violin? Or would it make it less relatable?  
> And what about the college or university the Reader goes to (like the subject the Reader studies)? Should I leave it as vague as possible so you can fill in the blanks yourself? 
> 
> If there's anything you'd like to see in this story, please tell me! This story is still very much malleable so I can consider all requests ( ^-^✿)


	3. Evening Ride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here in Grillby's bar, snug and full of monsters, you meet a bunch of dogs and a certain six-armed lady.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, 100 kudos in less than 2 weeks? That's insane! I love you so all much <3  
> I want to thank everyone who has commented as well, I really appreciate it so much that you guys take the time to write something! \\(◕ヮ◕)/  
> Don't be afraid to leave a critique, though, as I really want to make this story as enjoyable as possible ( ˘◡˘ )  
> Oh and if you see any typos, please tell me, I'll fix it right away!
> 
> I'll gradually introduce Reader to more monsters, so if you are desperate to see a character in this story, don't hesitate to mention it! 
> 
> I really hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

Before you had even taken a seat the dogs started shaking both of your hands, tails waggling and noses sniffing, their paws furry and soft. You barely knew where to look - there were at least five or six dogs (of which one was cute but pretty annoying) and almost all of them were completely white. Luckily the clutter of dogs separated when all paws had been shaken, making it much easier to identify every one of them as their own individual selves. 

There was Doggo, wearing his collar, simple shirt, and baggy jeans, who immediately (but kindly) informed you that he could only see things that were moving, so for the rest of the time you spend at their table you kept at least a couple of fingers tapping the wooden surface softly. There were Lesser Dog, LD, and Greater Dog, GD, opposite of you, and the armour underneath the table belonged to them, so you made sure you didn’t accidentally kick against it with either of your feet. Now that you could take a better look at them you could actually see that LD’s fur was more of a soft cream than white, making it look even more fuzzy (and making it even more difficult for you to keep yourself from petting him). Left of you sat Dogami and Dogaressa, who told you they had found this lovely place at the edge of town with room enough for every dog, including Endogeny, who filled most of the space right of you. Their garden was the size of a small park, or so they claimed, and you had absolutely no idea how big that might be, but you were happy for them. Their wide smiles and energetic ways of talking (and barking) convinced you that they would stay positive even in the worst of situations. 

While the dogs were great company, you couldn’t help but secretly search for the bartender in your pheripheral vision. You caught glimpses of him cleaning tables, bringing orders to patrons, and mixing drinks. Glimpses of his softly flickering fire and of his well-trained hands and swift movements. You started to raise your hand to order a drink, so that you would be excused for looking directly at Grillby, but Sans caught it before you could even lift it a couple of inches. 

“c’mon, kid. there are many more I’d like you to meet and we haven’t got all evening!” 

You were pulled away from your seat and with a last wave goodbye you left the dogs to continue their card game, only to be thrown into a chair opposite of a spider-like monster with six arms. 

“Well hello there~ “ She scanned your face before taking a sip of her cup of tea. “And who are you?” 

“this is ____, she’s new here,” Sans gave you a pat on the shoulder and a wide grin to go with it, “thought i’d get her to meet some of the regulars. Didn’t think i’d see you here at this time of the day, tho, you’re more of a morning person?”

While Sans and the monster lady had a conversation you were not quite included in, you had the chance to study her more closely. Her black hair framed her face beautifully, and even though her five eyes and visible fangs were a little bit unsettling at first, you noticed she was actually really pretty. Her choice of clothes was unusual but fitting, and quite stylish at that, and she carried herself with confidence. She also seemed like a person who knew how to make someone’s life a living hell, so you made a mental note to never get on her bad side. 

“I’m Muffet, by the way,” she had turned her attention back to you, “I supply Grillby with some spices and herbs needed for his drinks and food. I own the bakery down the road, you should come by some time, the spiderdonuts are delicious if I might say so myself, ahuhuhu~” 

You smiled politely, though the thought of spiderdonuts (donuts made of spiders or donuts in the shape of spiders?) horrified you. You weren’t necessarily afraid of spiders, but putting them or anything that looked like them in your mouth wasn’t really your thing, to put it nicely. But a bakery must have other things than spider-related food, right? Well, there was no harm in visiting sometime. 

“Sure, I’ll stop by sometime. At what time do you open?” 

“Every morning at 8 AM, except for Wednesdays and Sundays – those are my days off.” Her smile was kind, but you knew there was no escape now – you had to either go to her bakery this week or never come to Grillby’s again out of fear of seeing her again. A shiver went down your spine but you nodded, almost glad when Sans pulled you away again.

You were quickly introduced to some other monsters, including a volcano-like creature, a plant monster with enormous teeth, and a tipsy bunny that flirted with Sans as soon as the two of you walked past, before you were finally set down at the bar again. It really was fun to meet so many monsters in one day, but if you had to be honest it was quite exhausting as well. With a sigh you leaned your head on your hands, realising that you had to go to work early and that you had classes after that – coffee would be your only way to survive tomorrow. Actually, why not start right now? You waved Grillby over and within moments he stood before you, his expression kind and patient. 

“Hi,” you smiled back at him but you knew he could tell you were absolutely drained - the worry on his face grew slightly, so you quickly ordered your drink. He seemed to hesitate, scanning your face, maybe doubting whether it was alright to give you caffeine right now. 

“It’s okay, it’ll give me the energy I need to walk back home.” 

“I can drive you home.” 

It wasn’t really a question, more of a statement this time, and it was great to hear his voice again. You hadn’t heard him talk much after you had ordered your food about an hour ago, not even to his patrons, and you had began to wonder if he was a bit tired as well. You had sort of forced him to open his bar on (presumably) his day off, and within moments the bar had been filled with customers. You knew he loved his job but everyone had their limits of what they could do or handle in a week, and you were slightly afraid you had pushed him over those very limits. Maybe letting him drive you home would give him some time to relax, and honestly you wanted to spend more time with him, but who would look after the place when he was gone? 

“But what about your bar?” 

“Don’t worry about it.” 

He seemed confident, and you knew he wouldn’t take no for an answer by the way he had placed his hands on his hips. He was watching you, still patient, and when you nodded his flames seemed to grow brighter ever so slightly. 

“Wait here, I’ll be back soon.”

You followed him with your eyes until he was out of sight before turning your head towards Sans, who had been grinning widely at the two of you for the last couple of minutes. You rolled your eyes at him but with a smile on your own face, and you got your wallet out of your pocket to distract yourself from his intense staring. 

“grillbz talks quite a bit to you, doesn’t he?”

You put the right amount of money, together with a generous tip, on the bar. 

“He has been quiet since he opened the bar, though. I’m kinda worried I forced him to open this place up when he was actually too tired? I didn’t mean to intrude or anything, and now he’s leaving his patrons so he can bring me home –“ 

“don’t worry, monsters are easy going, they know how to amuse themselves without hot stuff around. and if there’s one thing he loves, it’s his job - he would probably be here 24/7 if it wasn’t bad for his health. i think you actually did him good.” 

You frowned slightly, confused. “Why would you think that?” 

Sans shrugged and took a few long slurps from a red bottle that only now you recognised as ketchup – instantly giving you the urge to gag. You could feel your stomach twist at the idea of drinking condiments like that, and you knew you could never look at ketchup the same ever again. He put it down and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before returning his attention to you. 

“he seems happier.”

Because of you? It didn’t seem too realistic, and if that was what the skeleton wanted to believe then you wouldn’t stop him - yet you couldn’t quite stop the soft pink from creeping onto your cheeks.

And as if fate was teasing you, at that moment exactly Grillby entered again, causing your blush to double in intensity within seconds.  
He was wearing a black leather jacket over his bartender suit, his posture casual as he walked over to you, and when he noticed you staring you could see the hint of blue starting to surface again. You quickly looked away and stood up from the barstool, ignoring Sans’ ‘have fun tonight’ and trying to hide your face until Grillby stood next to you. The two of you walked over to the entrance and you waved everyone goodbye, surprised by the amount of goodbyes and waves you got in return. 

After grabbing your coat and putting it on, you left the building and stepped out in the cool evening air. You took in a deep breath and closed your eyes for a second, enjoying the sensation of the slight breeze on your skin. You could see that the bar was exactly as you had imagined it now that there were people inside, the warm light coming through the windows and forming a beacon of a home-like security in the empty streets. You both walked over to the only motorcycle that was parked in front of the building. It was completely black, with only a couple of elegantly painted flames on the sides. It wasn’t macho, or excessively decorated to look ‘cool’ – it was elegant, with a touch of badass. Just like Grillby, you thought. 

He swung his leg over the vehicle and sat down comfortably, hands gripping the handlebars casually. You could see he was used to riding a motorcycle, and you wondered if they had had those in the Underground. You noticed Grillby was waiting for you so you quickly placed yourself on the seat behind him. 

“I am sorry I don’t have a helmet, I promise I will drive carefully.” He glanced over his shoulder to gauge if you were okay with that. 

“I’ll just... eh, I’ll just – hold on tight... I guess.” You stuttered awkwardly, and when you gently put your hands on his hips you could see how his blush grew more prominent before he quickly looked away. You were glad your own face wasn’t as visible in the dark – or so you hoped - because you knew for sure you were beet red. 

You had never rode one before, not even as a passenger, so you didn’t quite know what to expect. You gave Grillby your address and when he started the motorcycle you gave a small yelp, your grip on his waist tightening a bit. You wanted to sink through the ground when you heard him chuckle, but before you could think about your embarrassment any further Grillby already started driving. You were hit with slight inertia and for a moment you thought you were going to fall, your hands slipped from his body and your life flashed in front of your eyes.  
Luckily the intertia wasn’t bad enough to throw you off the vehicle, so when you got your balance back within a couple of seconds you pressed yourself completely against the man of fire and gripped him tight with your arms around his waist. Your heart was beating so fast that you could actually hear it... or was it Grillby’s? You noticed he had grown a bit warmer, and when you looked up you could see the blue glow coming from his face. Your stomach twisted in a weird way that felt surprisingly good, and you knew exactly what it was. You had liked guys before, and you had felt butterflies in your stomach before, but it had been such a long time that it almost surprised you. Almost. 

You felt his warmth through his jacket and became aware of the contrast between that and the cool evening air streaming past your legs. You pressed your chest and cheek against his back to take full advantage of his existence, and you could feel him rise another degree in temperature. 

The city passed by in hurried flashes, lights blurring and leaving tracks against the dark sky above you. It was magical, exhilarating, and your heart was beating twice as fast as it normally would – but whether that was because of the driving or because of the man of fire you were holding onto so tightly, you weren’t quite sure.  
His body shielded you from the harsh hitting of the wind and any bugs that the windshield might have missed, and he did exactly as he had promised, driving carefully and staying under the speed limits. At first you appreciated that with every fibre of your being, but now that you were used to the different kind of transport, you only wished to go faster, to get that next level of adrenaline rush. You wanted to hold him closer, feel every inch of your body against his and – _why_ were you thinking of this, oh god you needed to calm _the frick_ down. You closed your eyes and tried to think about different things, innocent things, but thoughts of how his strong body felt underneath your arms and hands kept flooding your mind. 

_Calm down. It won’t be long before you are home. Take a deep breath. Soon you can get off, say goodbye, take a shower and go to bed._

Grillby turned a corner and you noticed you were indeed close to ‘home sweet home’, but some kind of dread filled your heart. You didn’t want to say goodbye. Should you invite him in? No. You were definitely _not_ going to invite him in. What were you thinking? You had only met him _today_. 

The vehicle slowed down and eventually stopped in front of the block of flats in which you lived. You let your arms loosen their grip on his waist and pulled them back to your sides as you sat back up again, before you slid off of the motorcycle altogether. Grillby got off as well, walking you as far as the entrance to the building. You turned to face him and looked him in his eyes, and as soon as your gazes locked the butterflies started fluttering violently again. Time seemed to stand still for the second time tonight as you were once again hypnotised. When the eye contact lasted longer than socially acceptable the both of you abruptly looked away and you awkwardly cleared your throat. 

“Uhm, thank you - for today. The food was delicious and the company was great.” You smiled shyly and glanced upwards shortly before averting your gaze again. “And thank you for bringing me home. I eh... I’ll see you around. I’ll stop by your bar sometime soon.” 

If anyone had seen the two of you they would have laughed, your face completely red and his completely blue. You felt the sudden urge to laugh as well, the absurdity of today finally hitting you, and a giggle escaped you. Grillby seemed confused but it was obvious he was holding back his laugh as well, and after a second of silent eye contact the two of you burst out laughing. The sound came flooding from your lips and your eyes were filled with tears as your chest hurt so much you felt like you were unable to breathe. You leaned against the wall with one hand while clutching your stomach with the other and Grillby stood bent over, hands on his knees, as his laughter joined yours. It was beautiful, his laugh was beautiful, _he_ was beautiful. His flames shot up higher as his shoulders shook violently with laughter and you wanted to kiss him. You needed to kiss him.  
But you didn’t. 

As the two of you calmed down, both leaning with your back against the wall, you felt more comfortable around him than you had felt during the whole day. It was as if some pressure had been lifted, some kind of awkwardness had finally been shooed away. You felt you could finally say a proper goodbye. 

“Really, though, Grillby. Thank you for today, I had a great time! I’ll see if I can come over more often. What days are you open?” 

“Every day except for Wednesdays and Sundays, usually from 4 PM until 2 AM.” 

“Okay. I’ll see you soon, then. Good night, Grillby.” 

“Goodnight, ____.” 

You watched him get back on his motorcycle and ride down the street until he disappeared out of sight, leaving you alone in front of the building. The night suddenly seemed much cooler than it had been, so you quickly stepped inside to find your apartment. 

The door creaked open to show the dark room and your hand moved across the wall to feel for the light switch, only to find it within seconds. You had lived in this (shitty) place for a while now. It was cheap, visibly, with things leaking, falling apart, and breaking down every damn week, but that was exactly the reason why you had bought it. As a student you didn’t have much time to work and you didn’t get paid much either, so a cheap life it was. Ah yes, work.

You walked through the rooms, grabbing your clothes for tomorrow – your work outfit was still in the back of the shop as you had forgotten it this morning, just like your rucksack, so you crammed your spare outfit in a plastic bag and laid it on the table. You completed your evening routine, took a shower, put on a pair of pyjamas, and threw yourself on your bed. The soft mattress was like heaven to your sore muscles and tired body, but your mind was anything but ready to go to sleep. Events from today replayed in your head too many times to count, especially the ones in which you made yourself look like an idiot, and you cringed more than once - were you really that awkward? 

But you had had fun today, and you had met so many great monsters – of which one in particular didn’t want to leave your thoughts. You groaned and buried your face in your pillow. You were totally crushing on a monster made entirely of fire, which isn’t something you thought you would ever say. There was no denying it, however, and actually you didn’t want to deny it.

 

Flames flavoured your dreams. You slept soundly that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Comments kindle my flames, kudos are the fuel to my engine <3


	4. Bright Pink, Soft Lavender, and Beautiful Reds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suddenly free of morning obligations, you speak with a coworker and meet a certain man made of metal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man I'm on fire! (haha)  
> Even though I have no idea where this is going (this chapter alone surprised me in all kinds of ways) I keep writing and writing. You guys just motivate me so much it warms my heart <3  
> I'm actually really worried that this really isn't going _anywhere_ and that I'll run out of inspiration soon S: 
> 
> Don't expect chapters to always be uploaded this quickly, though. At the moment I don't really have a life so I have plenty of time to waste on this fic, but there's much more happening next week and the weeks after, so I might eventually shift this to a once-a-week upload fic?
> 
> If you see any typos or things that don't make sense, please tell me! I'll fix it right away (^-^)
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Be-_

With a groan you hit your alarm clock, not ready to wake up yet. Your mind was still hazy from the dream you had just been ripped from, its translucent veil still draped over your thoughts, but you couldn’t quite remember it. Your body still felt feeble yet you pushed yourself up and sat up straight, keeping the covers over your chest with one arm while you stretched the other. Light already shone through the window, and through your half-lidded eyes you could see the dust particles floating through the stale air, creating a beautiful effect that you couldn’t quite appreciate yet – not at 6:30 in the morning. After a lion-like yawn you let out a last sigh. It was time to get up and get moving. 

The floor was cold beneath your bare feet and you remembered thinking about buying a rug of some sort, but as quickly as the thought had come to you it had left again. You tried to pull on your socks with one hand while you rubbed your eyes with the other, too sleepy to see that this was far from practical, and that doing the two acts separately would cost less time – not that you cared. You knew it took a while for you to properly wake up and had set your alarm clock accordingly, giving you enough time to put on some clothes, make breakfast, brush your teeth, and get your stuff. 

Now that you had covered your flesh according to the social standards you made your way to the kitchen for that first cup of coffee or tea, whatever you felt like, and today was definitely a coffee day. While the aroma of the dark liquid started to fill the room you poured some milk and cereal in a bowl, got a spoon, and devoured most of it before grabbing the steaming hot cup from under the small machine. 

It was silent outside, half the town was still asleep. Some birds had already started their morning serenades but it sounded muffled through the glass, and the usually pretty crowded streets were nearly empty under the grey sky. It didn’t seem like it would be spring weather today either.  
After finishing your breakfast and cup of caffeine and after having taken care of dental hygiene, you grabbed your bag off of the table and made your way to the door, grabbing your coat and an umbrella – perhaps you learned from your mistakes after all – before stepping outside and locking the door behind you. 

It was 7:10 am, leaving you with twenty minutes to get to work. Walking only took about 10 minutes so you decided to take the slightly longer route through the park, the path that ran past the gazebo – for no particular reason, of course. It wasn’t like you were hoping to catch a glimpse of the flaming gentleman or anything.  
As the pillared structure came into view and the absence of any warm oranges or red hues became apparent, your heart sank a little. You didn’t dare go back to his bar tonight, afraid that it would seem too imposing or eager, and worried that it might betray your crush on the bartender. Not that mister skeleton hadn’t found out already, but you could only hope that Sans would keep it to himself. 

As you entered the street where the shop was located you noticed the scaffolding against the front and the men who stood on it, taking down the original sign. Your heartbeat sped up instantly – had something happened that had put the store in immediate bankruptcy? Were you unemployed as of today? Would you be able to find somewhere else to work before you had to pay your rent?  
You powerwalked to the building – it must have looked absolutely ridiculous but you didn’t quite care at the moment – and stopped in front of the iron construction. The men were too busy working to notice you and you didn’t know how to ask nicely about what the hell they were doing. 

“Hey, ____.” 

You glanced over your shoulder. “Hi, BP. You know what’s going on?”  
The slight twitching of his eye did not escape you. 

“Yeah, I know _exactly_ what is going. What is going on, is that my former, absolutely **_fantastic_** boss has taken over the whole chain of stores!” 

You noticed how he formed fists with his hands, holding them in that position so tightly you were 99% sure it must hurt. You had worried about Burgerpants’ mental health before, but he had seemed to be getting better with every week. He was the first monster you had ever met and the two of you could get along pretty well - at first you had been a bit freaked out by the whole ‘monsters are real and they are coming to live with us’ idea, but working with BP soon turned out to make your days less boring and the stress more manageable.  
He could be extremely sarcastic (which was hilarious at times) but that was only to be expected - you had heard of his time underground, about his former job and the ways in which he had suffered, and he had often mentioned how much of a relief it was to be out of his ex-boss’ reach. He always told you whatever was bothering him, you were always there to listen and vent with him, and he appreciated that.  
But this was bad news. Sure, neither of you had lost your job, but BP was back at the start again, back to where he had so desperately tried to get away from. 

“Shit, are you going to look for a different job? Maybe you can just leave your CV at some other stores?” 

“It’s like that overrated _toaster_ stalks me wherever I go. Give me a fucking break, will you!”  
He threw his arms up in the air with a loud groan, as if to curse Fate itself, and you could only pat him on his shoulder to show your sympathy. 

“Maybe he won’t even come here? Like you said, he has taken over the whole chain, right? I don’t think he has the time to run this shop in the... flesh? Metal? Whatever, you know what I’m getting at. I bet we just get to keep our old boss, just a new collection of clothes to sell.”

It seemed to have calmed him down a bit and he nodded, giving you a small smile as a thanks, but his eyes still stood distant and empty. Poor guy. You wanted to offer to get inside but at the exact moment you wanted to speak he completely froze, stiffened like a stick. 

“Oh no. Oh **_god_** no!” 

You turned around to see what had caused his horrified reaction. A gigantic black and pink limousine – enormous metallic letters spelling that famous name on its sides - turned around the corner and came driving down the street, stopping in front of the building. The door swung open with such force you feared it would get detached and go flying through the air, but the hinges held, and a large man-like robot stepped out. Burgerpants quickly set a step to the side, so that he was mostly hidden behind your back, and you hoped with all of your heart that he would be alright. The metal man walked – no, strode over to the two of you. 

“Hello darlings! I bet you have heard the wonderful news that this shop will now be selling MTT Fashion! Oh, how rude of me, let me introduce myself. My name is Mettaton, as you know, of course, and you are?” 

You smiled at him and gave him your name, not quite sure how to respond to his... grandeur? yet. You had seen him on TV once and it had made you happy to see that monsters could gain such positive popularity with humans as well, but now that he was standing in front of you, tall and shining, he was even more impressing than on the telly. 

“Such a lovely name for a lovely lady! And who is that behind you? Burgerpants is that you?” 

BP knew there was no use in hiding anymore and stepped into view again. “Yes sir.” 

“How great it is to see you again! Now, enough with the formalities. Sadly I can’t run every store myself, but I will frequently pay them a visit. Now don’t see it as an inspection, see it as a... friendly reminder of the code of conduct, okay? I know you will do great. The store will be renovated today, however, so see this as a paid day off.” 

It was easy to understand why he was so popular. His voice, although slightly metallic, was melodious, his words kept you captivated, and the vibes he gave off were those of majesty and splendour – and not to mention those legs and high heels, though you wondered how he could walk so gracefully on them. 

“Sweetie, I know I am the most fabulous person you have ever seen, but staring is rude – I know, I know, you just can’t help it. Don’t worry, I won’t hold it against you as it only flatters me. Now go and enjoy your day of freedom, I’ll take care of this.”

You blinked once, twice, until his words finally came through. “Oh! Yes, uhm, sorry, and thank you!”  


A day off! Well, half a day off, as you still had classes in the afternoon, but at least you could enjoy spending a couple of hours like you wanted to spend them – it was still early after all. You turned towards BP and the two of you began walking down the road, suddenly without purpose, and only when you were well out of earshot did you dare to talk.

“He didn’t seem too bad?” 

“That’s what I thought too, at first. It was my dream to work with Mettaton, to become an actor like him, but I guess you need to be careful what you wish for or you will be selling Glamburgers and throwing away your life at the age of 19.” He sighed deeper than you had ever heard someone sigh. 

“Why don’t you start a little theatre club? I bet there must be more monsters who like acting, and maybe you can even get a few nice people on your team if you want?” 

He seemed to cheer up a bit, his ears betraying his secret enthusiasm. “You think that would work?” 

“Sure, why not? Make posters - and maybe I can ask some people to advertise for you. Even if it doesn’t get you famous you at least get to do it as a hobby? It would be a shame to give up on something you like so much!” 

“Yeah. Yeah! You’re right!” The look in his eyes could melt your heart, and you were glad you had been able to help him out. “So do you want to be the first to join me?” 

“What, me?” 

“Who else?” 

“I don’t know if I can act, though?” 

“Doesn’t matter, I can teach you!” 

You thought about it. It would probably break his heart if you said no, and BP had suffered enough in the 20 years that he had been alive so far, so it wasn’t a very hard decision to make. 

“Alright! I’ll be the first to join your club – but only under one condition.” 

“Okay?” 

“You need to come to the bakery with me. The owner, Muffet, invited me to come and get some spider donuts some time but to be honest I’m pretty scared to go alone, let alone eat a donut with spiders in it.” You shivered visibly at the thought. 

“Sure. The donuts are pretty good, I had one myself a while ago.”

 

The store was close to the monster part of town so it didn’t take more than five minutes to find the parlor, and now that you had your trusted colleague, and maybe even friend, at your side you felt much more confident. The bakery looked lovely on the outside, as if it had been ripped right out of a fairytale. The building was completely white, and a purple wisteria draped itself gracefully over the windows that protruded from the wall a bit, creating some sort of a semi-dome above the pavement. All kinds of baked goods were displayed behind the windows, from cupcakes to fresh looking bread, and the two large pots containing blooming lavender and soft-looking moss next to the entrance added the last details that completed the charm of the building. Only then did you notice the ‘closed’ sign. 

“Ah I totally forgot, they open around 8. What’s the time?”

“7:42, but I don’t mind to wait.” 

“You don’t?” 

“Nah, I’d rather sit on the pavement with you for hours than spend another minute with that metal psychopath.” 

“Thanks, I appreciate it.” You smiled kindly and he nodded back, and the two of you sat down in the shadow of the canopy. 

Time passed quickly as you discussed names for the club, but finally just settled on ‘BP’s Theatre Club’. The two of you made plans to design posters, maybe even flyers, and you talked about which plays would be fun to study. His enthusiasm was contagious and soon you found yourself eager to carry out all of the plans the two of you had made. 

“You two are early,” you looked up and saw Muffet standing in the dooropening, a large smile on her face, “I have never seen anyone so eager to try my food, ahuhuhu~” 

You stood up, wiping the dirt and little stones from your butt and legs, and walked over to the six-armed lady with BP by your side and a kind smile on your face. “Of course! I said I would stop by sometime, didn’t I?” 

She let the two of you in and you were immediately hit by the delicious smell that all bakeries seemed to have in one degree or another. The room was rather small compared to Grillby’s bar, but large enough to contain around ten people. On the right was the classic glass pastry display with an old fashioned cash register on top, and against the wall on the left stood two little round tables, each with two matching chairs, and both decorated with one thin vase made of glass, holding a couple of lavender flowers. The light fell on them in a way that the glass created beautiful effects on the surrounding objects, and you could definitely imagine yourself having a quiet breakfast here on a lazy Saturday.  
In the middle of the room stood a larger round table, with glass domes in different shapes and on pedestals of different heights, all containing something that looked absolutely delicious. Muffet had showcasing her goods taken to the next level, making it some sort of art, and you were stunned by the use of aesthetics. 

“Your shop is beautiful!” You turned away from the central table to look at her, a smile on your face and your eyes large in admiration. She was silent for a moment, and during those quiet seconds she seemed like a different person – shy, almost. A gentle smile spread on her face and a twinkle appeared in all five of her eyes, and the slight fear you had of her was gone in an instant. It was as if she had dropped an almost unnoticeable act, and it felt good to know she had warmed up to you enough to be comfortable like that around you. 

“I bet everything is as delicious as it looks. I would like to buy two spider donuts, if that’s okay?” 

“Sure! Just a second, I think they are just ready!” She dashed to the back, only to return with a paper bag. “Watch your fingers, they are still hot.” 

She handed the bag to you and you passed it on to BP so you had both hands free to get your wallet out. You handed her the money and gave her a last kind smile. 

“Thank you very much!” 

“Goodbye, please come back!” 

“We will!” 

You stepped outside and closed the door behind you and BP, who carefully handed you one of the warm donuts. It didn’t look like it contained spiders, actually, it looked exactly like a normal donut. You lifted it to your mouth - 

“Okay, here we go.” 

\- and took a bite. The texture was the same like any other well-made donut until it started to melt in your mouth, giving it an extra boost of the wonderful flavour. Within a minute you had finished the whole thing, sad you hadn’t bought more but too awkward to go back in again. 

“I told you they were good.” 

“I should have believed you before, but now I definitely do.” 

“I’m glad you do. Anyway, I’m gonna head on home, enjoying this godsend day of freedom before eternal hell returns. See you at work!” 

You waved him goodbye until you heard the door behind you open again, revealing Muffet in the opening once more – this time with a large box in her hands. 

“Hey, can I ask you something?” 

“Sure, what is it?”  
“I need to bring some stuff over to Grillby’s but my car is all out of gas. Would you mind helping me? It’s only a couple of boxes, I think we can carry it all in one go.” 

To be honest you were jumping at the thought of seeing Grillby again but you hoped it didn’t show - again, it was bad enough already that Sans knew. It was the perfect excuse, and you were helping someone as well, which would only send good karma your way, right?  
“Of course I’ll help you.” You took the box from her and slightly bent through your knees so she could place another one on top. She picked up the other two, her other four hands holding them in place. 

“I really appreciate it.” 

It wasn’t a long walk but the cardboard blocked your view a bit, forcing you to slow down and be more careful than usual, especially because Muffet mentioned the things inside were pretty fragile bottles and containers with slightly valuable herbs and spices.  
At last the building appeared and a few minutes later the two of you reached it, but she turned the corner and walked down the alley left of Grillby’s bar. 

“The back door is this way.” 

You followed suit, your arms getting slightly tired from the constant stress on your muscles, but it wasn’t long before the two of you reached your destination and you were allowed to put down the cargo.  
The door opened after only a couple of seconds after she had knocked on it, revealing the man of fire in his casual wear – and as you had predicted it looked great on him, almost unbearably so. He gave Muffet a nod before noticing you behind her, and after the two of you made eye contact he didn’t move a muscle. He just stood there, looking at you, and you just stood there, looking back at him, until you snapped out of it. 

“Oh hey, I eh, Muffet needed some help. Her car is out of gas, you see.” You explained after shifting your gaze to the boxes on the ground in front of you. 

Muffet gave you a weird look, the mechanics in her head obviously working at full speed, and you knew she would come to the same conclusion as Sans had come to. Great, at this rate the whole monster community would know within a week. 

Grillby nodded and stepped aside, allowing both of you to enter. You followed Muffet to the kitchen, where you put down the boxes beside the ones she had carried, and took a look around. The kitchen was absolutely spotless, with a large oven, at least three grills, a wooden rack with skillets against the wall, a kitchen island, and lots of cabinets and drawers – but no sink. Instead, the place where you figured the sink had been, had been replaced with two large dishwashers. You were relieved to see that he kept the risks as minimal as possible. 

When you turned back to Muffet you noticed the almost evil grin on her face that predicted nothing good, and you knew what she was going to do. 

“Well, I have to go, I can’t leave my bakery unattended for too long. You have been wonderfully helpful, deary~” Her grin grew even wider and you suddenly remembered that vine that described this situation perfectly. 

_-Hoe don’t do it-_

”Will you please help Grillby with unpacking and sorting? Would have stayed, but alas, customers are waiting.” And she was gone, leaving you and Grillby, alone, in the back of the building, where no one could see you. 

_-Oh my god-_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments keep my fingers typing, kudos keep my brain activated <3
> 
> I wasn't sure about which gender I'd give Mettaton, as some see the character as female. The Undertale Wiki (and Burgerpants' dialogue) take him for a guy though, and that was my initial thought as well, so that's why I made him male (in case you were wondering). I love the female version of Mettaton as well though, so no offense meant (◕‿-)
> 
> If you don't know the vine ~~shame on you~~ here it is:  
>  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMwyB1c_KEQ  
> Muffet is onto you~


	5. Skin Contact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set up by Muffet, you help Grillby in more than one way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was rather difficult to write, and I hope it's not too uneventful S:  
> If you see anything that doesn't make sense or any typos and stuff, please tell me, it's possible I missed some stuff as I should be asleep for like two hours now haha ~~I am purebreed trash~~
> 
> Again, if there's anything you like to see happen in this story, or if you'd like some lesser known characters to appear, please tell me!
> 
> I really hope you enjoy this one <3  
> Song: 'Technicolour Beat' by Oh Wonder

You shifted your gaze from the door opening to Grillby, and then quickly to the boxes. You bent through your knees to open up the one closest to you and revealed the glass containers inside; there were quite a lot of them in this box alone, and there seemed to be two or three of the same stuff each time. There was lots that you recognised, such as vanilla beans, anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, and things like that – but there was some strange stuff you couldn’t quite figure out. There was some sort of glittery blue powder, some yellow grains with a weird shine to them, and even bright pink chips of something that seemed to glow when you shook the bottle softly.

“So... Where do you put this stuff?” 

“There is no need to help.” 

You looked up and saw the apologetic expression on his face, but responded with a smile. You had been given the opportunity to spend more time with him and you were going to take it – and besides, you couldn’t let him do all the work when you could easily help him out a bit. 

“I don’t mind, really. My new boss has given me the morning off so I have lots of hours to spare.” 

He nodded, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to change your mind, and walked over to one of the larger kitchen cabinets to open it. It seemed specifically built for spices - many half-empty bottles stood perfectly aligned on wooden shelves with a single wooden rail at the edge, to keep them from falling down, and you noticed they were arranged alphabetically so they were easier to find. He really had found tricks to prepare his food as quickly as possible without spoiling the taste, and it was apparent that he kept his kitchen as neat and organised as possible. 

You pulled the cardboard box somewhat closer to the spice rack and started pulling out bottle after bottle, scanning the names and placing them on the right shelves and behind the old ones. 

_Click._

_-ome settle down, settle down_  
_Let loose your glow_  
_Come settle down, settle down_

You looked over your shoulder to see where the music came from and saw that Grillby had turned on the tiny radio on the kitchen island. You send him a smile before continuing with what you had been doing before, only now softly humming along. You knew this song, and it made you want to swing your hips (though you didn’t - you were squatting and it would look pretty ridiculous). For a moment you wondered if Grillby could dance, a soft smile creeping on your lips as you imagined him doing so. 

_And I feel life for the very first time  
Love in my arms and the sun in my eyes_

You felt the man of fire kneeling next to you, heard him slide another box to the cabinet, and saw him pulling out a couple of containers and swiftly putting them where they belonged. He only needed to glance at the bottle shortly before his hands found their way. 

_I feel safe in the 5 am light  
You carry my fears as the heavens set fire_

He was so close that your shoulders were almost touching, you could feel his warmth through your shirt, and for a moment your fingers faltered. The bottle slipped from your hand and you held your breath as you waited for the inevitable shattering of glass, but in a flash of red and orange Grillby quickly reached forward and caught it only inches before it hit the ground.  
His face was so close to yours that you could see his soft features hidden behind the flames, and you could feel his breath gently roll down your cheek and over your neck, instantly creating goosebumps over your whole body. 

_Jump into the heat  
Spinning on our feet_

You quickly bent back a bit and he returned to his upright position within seconds, both of you looking in a different direction to hide your blush. Why had you accepted to help him, again? 

_In a technicolour beat_  
_You and me_

“I’m sorry, it slipped from my fingers, I -” 

“It’s no problem.” 

_Caught up in a dream  
In a technicolour beat_

The tension was unbearable and the butterflies in your stomach still hadn’t calmed down, he was still so close and thoughts about his lips on your neck started to flood your mind and -  
you needed to cool down.  


_Warm unalone_  
_Come settle down, settle down_

You quickly started organising the bottles again, trying to clear your mind of fire, but every time his hand came close to yours you could feel your skin beginning to tingle, wanting him to touch you. Luckily, after a while, he finished his box and went to get another, giving you the time to calm down a bit, and when he returned he sat down just a tiny bit further away from you. The distance was almost unnoticeably farther than before but it worked, and even though you wanted him to get closer, this allowed the two of you to finish the job in a comfortable silence, the only noise coming from the radio as song after song played. 

It was peaceful, just wordlessly working with him, and if you had to be honest you wouldn’t mind doing it more often. But how would you propose such a thing without seeming too imposing, or just plain weird? And maybe he liked to work alone, to listen to the radio on his own, to be with no one but his own thoughts? You wondered where his mind would go. Would he replay old memories over and over again? Remember his dreams of the previous nights, or think about what might happen tomorrow? The guy was a mystery, a stranger from a land you had never seen, a man that could tell so much without uttering a single word. 

“Here.” 

Grillby offered you a cup of tea, the enticing smell soon reaching your nose, and you stood up to take it, a smile already on your face. 

“Thank you.” 

You leaned against the counter as you took a sip, glancing over your cup to catch a glimpse of the man who stood before you, leaning against the kitchen island and enjoying his own drink. The way his flames reflected softly on the cleaned surfaces around you, his casual pose, the eyes behind his glasses – it was an artists’ dream. Surreal, like the dreams you have while being half-awake. 

Mysteries had always intrigued you, and there was something about him that piqued your interest. Sans had said that Grillby spoke a lot to you, yet he spoke so little comparing to others. It wasn’t a monster thing, so much was clear, so you wondered if it was a personal choice. Maybe selective mute was the right word. But why you? 

His gaze locked with yours and the winged insects in your stomach awoke once more, but you couldn’t break eye contact. You could feel your heart speeding up gradually as the tension started to rise and while it was unbearable on one hand, it was deliciously intoxicating on the other. You wanted him to step forward, close the distance between the two of you. To pin you against the counter with his hips and -  
You broke eye contact and casually took another sip of your drink. Maybe you were getting better at staying calm while these intrusive thoughts forced their way in – you certainly hoped so, because you desperately needed to keep your composure or you might slip up and kiss him, destroying the comfortable friendship you were slowly building. There weren’t many people with whom you could silently work without feeling awkward, as if you needed to say something, to keep a conversation going. Small talk had never quite been your thing, and people who could only talk about the weather started to annoy you after a while. 

Of course, you wanted to talk with him, not only to him. You wanted to hear his deep voice, his chuckle, his laugh. To hear him speak of his friends with such fondness as he had that day in the gazebo. And maybe that time would come, if you just let him warm up to you (oh god, Sans would have loved that pun) and if you didn’t fuck it up with your silly crush on the man made of fire. 

You could just bury your feelings - it might be a short fling thing anyway, spring fever even. You didn’t dare risk a friendship just because you felt some fluttering in your belly. It would wash over, and you would look back at it while shaking your head. That’s how it went with the others, anyway. 

“Penny for your thoughts.” 

You glanced up from your mug, surprised by his inquiry. What were you going to say? Hi, I like you but I don’t think it will last so I wasn’t going to mention it because I’d rather be friends for a longer period of time than be your girlfriend for less than a week? But whatever you were going to tell, it would be a lie, and you wondered whether he would notice. You were pretty good at lying as far as you knew, but you didn’t want to underestimate the bartender’s social skills.

“BP and I are starting a theatre club on Sundays and I was wondering about who to ask. Do you like acting?” 

His low chuckle made you want to punch yourself in the stomach to keep ‘dem beasties’ calm.

“I don’t think I will be very useful on stage.” 

You looked at him questioningly for a moment, your head cocked to the side a bit, until you realised what you had asked. Performing a play required quite a lot of speaking - even if Grillby got a minor role, he would be forced to talk more than he usually would. Good, now you wanted to punch yourself in the face as well. Grillby noticed your realisation and was obviously holding back another chuckle, a pursed smile on his face. 

“I do know some others who might want to join, however.” 

You perked up a bit. “That’s great! Who did you have in mind? Do you have any way in which I can contact them? Would it be rude just to contact them out of nowhere? I don’t know them so maybe they’re freaked out if I – “  
You noticed his pursed smile growing, the corners of his lips twitching as he tried to keep it under control. 

“I’m rambling again, aren’t I?” You let out a soft sigh, followed by a quiet chuckle. There was something in his gaze that you couldn’t quite figure out yet you could feel the soft blush starting to rise to your cheeks. “S-so, who was it, again?”

“I think Papyrus will like it. Maybe Alphys as well.” 

“Sans’ brother?” 

He nodded. “I’ll give you their numbers if you like? They don’t come to the bar often.” 

You took your phone out of your pocket and handed it to him. Mesmerised by the swift tapping of his elegant fingers you waited patiently, still leaning against the counter with your cup of tea in your hand, every once in a while bringing it to your lips to take another sip. Then you remembered the mental note you made yesterday. 

“Hey, can you put the monster ambulance service in as well? I haven’t had the chance yet and I don’t know the number, to be honest.” 

You knew that monsters didn’t have their own hospital and services just because humans didn’t want them using their own – well, it played a role, but only partially – but because of their different needs and anatomy. Human doctors just didn’t quite know how to deal with the whole ‘magic’ thing, and many things about the different species was still a mystery to all of us – mostly because the majority of people that was qualified enough for such research didn’t even dare to get closer to them than a couple of meters. 

Grillby returned your phone and you put it back, finishing the last bit of your tea in a couple of swigs and setting the cup on the counter. With newfound enthusiasm you squatted down next to the boxes again. 

“Let’s get back to work!” 

 

After fifteen minutes the job was done and all bottles had been neatly organised. The muscles in your legs protested slightly when you stood up, and your left foot had started tingling weirdly, but the real pain was in your shoulders and neck. You rolled your head a bit and heard your cervical vertebrae pop twice – followed by your thoracic vertebrae when you arched your back with your hands on your hips. A soft hiss escaped your lips. Maybe you should start on yoga or something.

“I can help, if you want.” 

You turned around while still massaging your left shoulder and noticed he wasn’t joking. You wondered if Sans was right, that Grillby could ‘melt’ your pain away. Were you confident enough to accept his offer? But before you had been able to make up your mind he had softly pushed himself away from the kitchen island and had taken a step towards you, and as if going with an unseen flow you slowly turned around, letting it happen as it was happening. You could feel his radiating warmth close to your back, but he seemed to hesitate a bit. 

“It’s okay, I trust you.” 

You heard him shift softly. “That wasn’t... Thank you, but...” 

Oh. Your shirt. The soft pink on your cheeks grew brighter but you were too far to go back, and so you softly pulled your shirt down your shoulders a bit, glad that the neckline was elastic. 

You could feel his hands getting closer to your neck, your skin starting to tingle like before, and for a second you hoped it would be his lips. His fingers gently wrapped around your shoulders and a soundless sigh involuntarily escaped your lips, the heat was already having a soothing effect. He began to move, using long, light strokes, to warm up your muscles first, before applying more pressure, especially there where he felt the tension knots. 

God it felt great. 

As he let his fingers run over your neck and shoulders you needed all your self control to stay silent, soft moans waiting to breach the air – but you wouldn’t let them. All the stress of work, school, and just life in general seemed to slowly fade away with each stroke, your mind fading to a slight absence. He focussed on your shoulders first, now using his thumbs to get the more stubborn tension out of the way and using his palms to smooth it all out again, and it felt indescribably good. 

You could feel the flames of his skin softly flickering without causing any harm; this was so much _more_ compared to the handshake, so much more intimate, and your stomach kept twisting and turning in all the good ways. 

He had indeed ‘melted away’ all the tension and soreness in both your neck and shoulders, and when you rolled your shoulders softly to admire the new freedom, his hands slowly slipped away. You turned around, a smile so full of gratitude on your face that it could be heard in your voice. 

“Thank you, I really needed that.” 

He smiled back, and for a moment you thought you saw a light hue of blue hidden underneath the flames. You pulled your shirt back up over your shoulders and swung your arm a bit, glad that the pain was gone. 

“I wish I could do the same, but I don’t think I can do it as well as you did. I might even make it worse...” You thought about it, remembering the techniques he had used, and looked at your own useless hands. “I can try, though?” 

He thought about it for a moment, before giving a curt nod. 

“Okay, but I’ll need to sit on the kitchen island or I won’t be able to reach your neck properly.” 

He was taller than you, and you would need to reach upwards quite a bit before you were able to wrap your hands around his neck, which wasn’t very practical. And so you pushed yourself up the countertop in one swift movement, wiggling a bit to sit down comfortably, and nodding to show you were ready. 

Only then did the two of you realise he was wearing a t-shirt with a not-so-elastic neckband. The silence was awkward for a bit, the tension making the butterflies go wild, so you quickly spoke.

“I understand if you’re not comfortable with...” You left the sentence unfinished, knowing he would fill in the blanks. 

But his hands travelled down to the hem of his shirt, grabbing the edges and pulling upwards. Your heartbeat increased and the butterflies went vicious, tearing at your stomach to the point it almost hurt. He lifted it over his head, folded it neatly and laid it on the countertop behind him, before turning to you again. You kept your eyes on his face, no matter how hard it proved to be, because you were already glad that he was comfortable with this and you didn’t want to ruin it by objectifying him. 

He stepped forward until he was well within your reach, and turned around, giving you full access to his neck and shoulders. The facts that he was half naked and standing in between your thighs, and that you had consent to touch him, made this feel very much like some kind of foreplay – but you desperately tried to push that thought back down to the depths of hell, which was obviously where you were headed after thinking that. 

You warned him with a soft ‘Okay, here we go’ to make sure he wouldn’t jump before you gently put your hands on his shoulders. It was different from him touching you, as you felt the need to be careful even though his shoulders felt strong. From the glimpse you had gotten of his body you knew that he was athletically built – but not overly muscular; rather slim, actually. You let your fingers move over his shoulder blades and upwards, exploring a bit before getting to work. You remembered how he had first warmed your muscles up though you wondered if that was necessary for him, but you decided to do it anyway. Better safe than sorry, right? 

You applied soft but constant pressure, focussing on his shoulders first, gradually putting more pressure on the points that were more tense. You found a couple of tension knots under his ‘skin’ as well and you felt sorry for him, he had probably a pretty stressful time if his bar was filled with many patrons, and you made sure to be careful but firm when applying pressure with your thumbs and palms. 

A soft sigh reached your ears and a smile spread on your lips – maybe you were better at this than you thought. You continued to his neck, hypnotised by the way his flames bent around your hands, but as you let your fingers work there your eyes moved down. Then you noticed it – darker patterns, lines across his back that seemed too much like scars for you to ignore them. Were you going to say something about it? What if it was a sensitive topic? You decided to let it go for now, and finished with his neck, slowly retracting your fingers from his body. 

He took a step forward and rolled his shoulders and neck in the same fashion you had done, before putting his shirt back on. 

“Thank you.” 

His voice and eyes were full of gratitude as well, and you returned his smile. “No problem at all.”

Your eyes fell down to the empty boxes on the ground, and you realised your work was done here. There were no more excuses that could keep you in his company unless either he or you specifically asked for it, but you figured you needed some time to cool down and to tame the butterflies once again. 

“I guess it’s time for me to head home.” You jumped off of the kitchen counter and grabbed your coat, umbrella, and the plastic bag containing your working clothes. He followed you to de door and held it open, and when you stood outside you turned around to face him one last time. 

“I’ll swing by sometime this week, to have another one of your burgers.” 

He chuckled, and with a last wave at the end of the alley you disappeared out of sight, to head home and prepare for the rest of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments are a substitute for sleep, kudos keep my neurons firing <3
> 
> I'm pretty much running out of plot structure by now but I'll try to make the most of it. I won't keep you guys hanging!  
> Oh and the song is 'Technicolour Beat' by Oh Wonder. I really like the band, but I am actually in need of a better fitting song for this chapter. I couldn't find one that had both some kind of love/lust in it and some hints at fire/heat as well, but please let me know if you have any suggestions!


	6. Sans Has Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His intoxicating touch hasn't left your mind, and Sans isn't making things much easier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one doesn't have much Grillby in it, and I hope it isn't too much of a tangent? But I guess it's sorta needed for the 'plot' so yeah  
> If you see any typos or weird looking shit, please tell me, I'll fix it right away!

You felt strange - a mix of awkward and horrified, but at the same time perfectly comfortable with it. 

You had walked home while lost in thought, oblivious to everything else and needing to avoid a streetlight a second before impact more than once. Your mind had gone back to his hands on your skin, his breath on your neck, his flames under your fingers, and you had practically driven yourself insane before you had even reached the human part of town. Friends gave each other massages all the time, right? It was a completely normal thing to do, _right_? Were you overthinking this? What if you weren’t? But what if you were? 

If you had paid more attention to the world around you, however, you would have heard the other footsteps. 

 

You made your way up the stairs and to your apartment, unlocking the door and shutting it behind you again before kicking off your shoes, dropping your shit, and throwing yourself on the couch. With a sigh you turned your gaze to the ceiling, trying to make out which feeling of the bunch inside of you was wining.  
It was impossible to remember a time you had felt like this because it had never happened before. It scared you a bit, to feel so conflicted because of someone you had known for less than 24 hours, and a part of you wanted to just get rid of all that you felt – it was easier to be friends, after all. But the rest of you just wouldn’t agree and kept searching for excuses that could convince you to go back again, to spend more time with him, to get to know him better because there was so little you actually knew about him.  
There were the generic facts, such as that he was a fire elemental and that he had lived under the mountain, but that only touched the surface of whatever had been going on in his life.  
There were some more personal things as well; He loved his job, he was kind, well mannered, probably selective mute, and he had scars of some sort – but here again your knowledge came up short. You had no idea what had caused them, they might even be the monster version of tattoos (though you doubted that), and you couldn’t find out what happened without taking the risk of reminding him of some traumatising experience. 

Maybe you could try to find out more about him through his friends? You got out your phone and scrolled through your contacts until you noticed that familiar name – he had put his own number in as well. A smile spread on your face and your heart felt light for a second, until you forced yourself to think that friends had each other’s phone numbers as well and that he was just that – a friend. Apparently he had put Sans in as well but you weren’t going to ask him about Grillby, he would probably only throw more fire-related puns at you anyway. It was, however, easier to approach him than his brother about the theatre club, though you were going to ask Burgerpants first to make sure you weren’t inviting one of his nemeses. 

XXX XXXX – 10:35  
Hey I heard about some others who might want to join. You know Papyrus and Alphys? 

BP – 10:35  
I’ve only seen them once or twice but I don’t know them personally tbh

XXX XXXX – 10:36  
Is it okay if I invite them? 

BP – 10:36  
Sure. I have some designs for a poster, are you available tomorrow?

A smile spread on your lips once more. It had only been about three hours since the two of you had decided to set up a theatre club and he had been so eager to carry out the plan that he had started designing the posters right away, and you couldn’t blame him.

XXX XXXX – 10:36  
Yeah my last class ends around 3 or something

BP – 10:37  
Okay see you tomorrow

You scrolled through your contacts all the way to the letter ‘s’.

XXX XXXX – 10: 37  
Hey Sans, this is ____, from Grillby’s? Can I ask you something?

You put the phone down on the table, not expecting it to start vibrating almost immediately. When you looked it was indeed Sans, and for a second you wondered if he had a job or not. Maybe you caught him during a break. 

Sans – 10:38  
oh yeah ur the girl who has the hots for the bartender, sure what’s up

XXX XXXX – 10:38  
Burgerpants and I are setting up a theatre club and Grillby mentioned your brother might like to join, would you mind asking him? You’re welcome too if you want?

Sans – 10:38  
didn’t know BP had friends

Sans – 10:38  
i think paps will love to join, i’ll ask him in a sec

Sans – 10:39  
acting isn’t really my thing tho 

Sans – 10:39  
so thanks but i’ll pass this one

You waited patiently, checking a few other apps and websites, until you heard the familiar sound of a received message.

Sans – 10:43  
yeah he would like to join the club, what time do you start?

XXX XXXX – 10:43  
Don’t know yet, but I’ll ask BP tomorrow. What times are convenient?

Sans – 10:44  
dunno, paps is free on sundays so i don’t think it matters

XXX XXXX – 10:44  
Okay, I’ll let you know when we figure out a time. Thanks for asking him, I really appreciate it

XXX XXXX – 10:44  
Oh btw, do you know Alphys? Grillby said she might like acting and stuff as well 

Sans – 10:45  
yeah i’ll ask when i see her or undyne

You let out a relieved sigh. You didn’t need to message someone you had never met, which made things a whole lot easier. Grillby hadn’t mentioned someone called Undyne, though, but you guessed she was a monster as well.

XXX XXXX – 10:45  
Who’s Undyne?

Sans – 10:46  
her fiancé

Sans – 10:46  
when did you go back to grillbz?

Were you going to react? If you did it might make him suspicious, but not responding might make him even _more_ suspicious. You ran your hand over your face and let out a groan; Sans was going to fuck this up one way or another, you just knew it. You didn’t think he had already told Grillby because you were pretty sure the bartender would have kept his distance after such an announcement, but Sans might not keep it secret forever.

XXX XXXX – 10:48  
This morning

Sans – 10:48  
so ur officially dating now, huh?

Your face went red and even though you were alone and no one could possibly see you, you tried very hard to get rid of the excess colour on your cheeks. 

XXX XXXX – 10:49  
No I helped Muffet delivering some stuff to the bar. Grillby and I are just friends

Sans – 10:49  
don’t worry i’ll help you out

XXX XXXX – 10:50  
What are you going to do?

XXX XXXX – 10:51  
Sans?

XXX XXXX – 10:52  
Sans no

Sans – 10:52  
sans yes

You were going to strangle that skeleton the next time you saw him. He didn’t respond to any other messages anymore and you put down your phone with a frustrated groan. Should you warn Grillby that his friend was up to something? You did have his number. But what would you say, and wouldn’t it betray your feelings? Maybe this was Sans’ plan all along – but what if it wasn’t? 

The doorbell rang and you thankfully accepted the distraction from your seemingly endless worrying, quickly making your way to the door to open it.

“Good morning, miss. I’m the plumber you called?” 

“Ah yes, please come in.” You stepped aside to let the guy through. He was around your age, probably doing this as a part time job, and you felt sorry for him – working in retail was horrible, but you could easily imagine the kind of people he had to put up with. 

You were glad he was here though, you had been calling the guy who managed the building for weeks about the things that needed to be fixed. It had been part of the contract you signed when you rented the apartment – all leakage and damage caused by old age would be paid for by the company that had offered you this place. 

“The pipes in the bathroom are pretty far gone but I’d be eternally grateful if you manage to fix them, and could you please take a look at the sink as well? It doesn’t always seem to work, and when it does it makes strange noises...” 

You closed the door and followed him back to the living room. 

“I’ll see what I can do.” 

“Thank you. Oh and I have to go in about 90 minutes, do you think you need more time than that, or?” 

“No that’s quite alright. I’ll get right to it, then.” 

Time passed quite quickly as you watched one and a half episode from your favourite series (thank the gods it was on Netflix) and in the end you still had to hurry to get all your stuff. While putting on a shoe you hopped over to the coat rack near the door, only to remember that the guy was still working on those damned pipes.

“Hey, uhm, I gotta go, are you almost done?” 

“Yeah I was just finishing up. Just a second.” 

You waited for him to appear and held the door open for him, locking the door behind you as soon as he had stepped outside. You thanked him once more for his services, a kind smile included, and quickly made your way to the campus.

The rest of the day only seemed to crawl by slowly, the classes quite okay but not too interesting and the people cool but nothing more than ‘fellow students’. Your best friend had left to study abroad, and of course the two of you chatted at times, or texted or called or skyped, but it was different from spending time with each other in person, and every day you started to miss her more and more. You had other friends, of course, but those friends had best friends as well and obviously spend more time with them than with you. Sure, you laughed with them, walked with them, sat with them, but as soon as the day was done you all went your separate ways, not to speak again until you saw each other at school again. This time was no different. 

You let out a sigh. The grey sky wasn’t helping and your inner struggle regarding Grillby was still fresh, the sound of your shoes on the pavement not loud enough to distract you - but you weren’t going to admit that you felt a tad lonely. Maybe all you needed was some fun company and a warm drink, so you got out your phone and scrolled through your contacts. 

XXX XXXX – 17:10  
Hey, you at Grillby’s?

Sans – 17:10  
yeah, you coming?

XXX XXXX – 17:10  
Yup, be there in a couple of min

And so you turned left instead of right, quickly finding your way to the right building. After only a short moment of hesitation you stepped through the door, immediately greeted by the other patrons. You waved back, a wide smile on your face, and you instantly felt much better than you had just mere seconds ago – but who wouldn’t?  
You seated yourself on the barstool next to Sans and greeted him, though you knew he had seen you come in, and he greeted you back. 

“rough day, kid? You look pretty bad.”

“Thanks.” A chuckle escaped the both of you. “Just a quiet day, that’s all. Not that much happens anyway, but I guess I just needed some good company.” 

Sans eyed you silently for a moment, the white pinpricks in his eye sockets scanning your face. It seemed as if he recognised something in your expression, and for a split second his demeanour changed; his grin suddenly full of sorrow and his eyes weary – but it was gone as soon as it had appeared and you wondered if it had just been the light playing tricks on you.

“well you’re at the right address, grillbz will _light up_ your day before you know it.” 

You let out a short laugh, his puns horrible but amusing nonetheless. “Of course, but you’re great company as well, y’know.”  
A soft blue appeared on his cheeks – did all monsters blush blue? 

“thanks, kid.” 

you gave him a warm smile and a nod before turning your head to search for the bartender – only to slightly jump when you noticed he was standing right opposite of you. 

“Oh hi, I hadn’t noticed you’d... Uhm... Can I have a hot chocolate, please?”  
A nod and he was off to get your order, Sans’ snickering making you want to sink through the ground. By the Gods, you really were that awkward. 

“so, friends, hm?”

“Yup, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” You put all your confidence in that one sentence, to show him that you weren’t going to change your mind, but his grin only seemed to grow bigger. 

“we’ll see about that. by the way, you owe me.” 

You frowned, trying to find something that made sense. You couldn’t find it. “What for?” 

“asking paps and alphys to join your club - so actually you owe me twice.” 

You didn’t like where this was going. Why was he so eager to owe one or two favours from you? But before you could ask him about it Grillby had returned and gently put down the drink in front of you. You thanked him and got a silent nod in return, after which he went back to cleaning a couple of glasses.  
You and Sans talked a bit for the rest of the evening, though you let him do most of the talking. You got to know more about Sans, Papyrus, and even a bit more about Alphys, yet barely anything about Grillby – but you didn’t dare to ask. Not just because of the puns, but because of that very bartender often standing next to the two of you, quietly listening to the stories the both of you had to tell. You could sometimes see how he tried to hold back a smile or a chuckle and were beginning to figure out how you could notice such expressions. It was indeed his posture, but it was also the way in which his flames moved – especially those atop of his head. Each expression made them move just slightly different – a bit higher or lower, a bit more contained or a bit wilder, soft popping and crackling or silently waving. You had to remind yourself not to stare more often than not. 

After two hours and four drinks it was time to go home, however. Even though you loved Grillby’s food, you didn’t really want to eat something greasy two days in a row. So you said your goodbyes, paid the bill, waved the other patrons goodbye as well, and made your way home, where you prepared some dinner and binge watched another couple of episodes before calling it a night. 

Today had been a wonderful day, even when considering the less fun moments of it, and you noticed you felt more and more drawn towards the monster part of town. Tomorrow you’d be heading there as well, to visit BP, and you certainly weren’t complaining – that part of town felt more alive than any other place, and the people you knew there were closer to being friends than anyone else around. 

It felt good to feel like something was happening in your life. 

It felt good to feel alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Comments give me love, kudos give me life <3
> 
> Please leave a critique or just tell me what you think  
> Oh and is the texting stuff okay or does it read weird?


	7. Oblivion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which your colleague notices your strange behaviour, and in which your evening takes a drastic turn for the worst (or for the better?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Sorry for taking so long, I got stuck halfway and then a writer's block took over and all kinds of real life stuff needed to be focussed on and shit like that. But I can now safely say that I have graduated high school (or secondary education or whatever you call it over there)!!!!! And in addition I've been accepted into the university of Arts in Utrecht, which is also pretty freaking cool!!!! Aaahhh!!!! I'm so excited, can you tell? ;D
> 
> And 200 kudos, that's absolutely insane! I never thought that would ever happen, and I appreciate every one of you so freaking much! Thank you so much for taking the time to read my writing and even to write a comment, you don't know how happy it makes me to read what you think or feel <3
> 
> Prepare for an extra long chapter ~~because I couldn't find a right moment to stop ;3~~ (it's almost twice as long gahh. I might break it up in two chapters if you guys prefer that)  
> Please let me know if you see anything that looks weird, it's way past my bedtime and many typos might have slipped through my sloppy checking.
> 
>  
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!

The next day was over in a flash, though you spent most of it in your own thoughts. You were actually doing quite alright study-wise so you allowed a few moments of mental absence here and there, especially during the breaks between classes or while devouring your lunch, and you even ignored how the margins in your notebooks began to disappear behind doodles.  
It was a blissful state of being, and as long as you could avoid bumping into people you figured it wouldn’t do any harm. 

But the cost of oblivion was something one could not be prepared for – and the longer it lasted, the higher the price became. 

Unaware of the slowly growing fee you owed the universe you dropped your stuff at home and headed towards BP’s house. You greeted the few people and monsters you came across with a smile and a friendly nod until you had found the right address; it was good to see that the bipedal cat owned a house of his own, and it seemed to be in pretty good state as well. Okay, it was quite a bit smaller compared to the other ones in the neighbourhood, and from what you could see the garden wasn’t much either, but the guy probably lived on his own so there wasn’t that much need for space. 

The doorbell didn’t seem to work but after two knocks the door flew open and BP let you in, his face betraying his energy. He jolted off to the living room, suggesting over his shoulder that you could leave your shoes and coat in the hallway. When you turned around to close the door behind you, your eyes picked up on a person leaning against a wall on the other side of the street, but you didn’t think much of it. Maybe humans were finally beginning to realise that monsters weren’t that different. 

And while you were discussing poster designs with your new friend, Grillby found himself lost in that same oblivion that had wrapped his claws around your existence. 

Ever since that introduction in the gazebo you had been haunting his thoughts. The rain had been pouring down around the two of you and it had seemed like a world of its own – the way the soft, natural light of the grey skies had illuminated you from behind, in contrast to his own light reflected on your wet face and in your lively eyes, it had taken his breath away. You hadn’t shown any hint of abhorrence, only kindness, and you had offered your hand without hesitation. Even when you had quickly pulled back it hadn’t been because of fear but because you had worried about hurting him, and you had tried to make it up to him almost immediately after, offering your hand once more to ‘re-do it’. Your hand had been so cold, so soft, but your grip had been confident.  
You had even taken your distance to shield him from the water you had been trying to get out of your soaked shirt, and when he had noticed your... the... transparency of your shirt, it had only been the right thing to give you his coat, yet you had expressed your gratitude so honestly. 

 

He picked up the next glass to clean with a soundless sigh, trying to get the light blush off of his face and unaware of how his customers began to look in his direction more often. Another order took his mind off of you for a moment, but the relief was short lived. It was quiet today, not many customers – and the ones that had showed up seemed content with just a drink or two. Of course Sans was sitting in his usual spot at the bar, but even he had been quiet for the last hour. Oh how Grillby wished someone would just talk to him already, to keep him from thinking about _you_. You, who had worried about the rain for him while walking to his bar. You, who apparently hadn’t cared about what other people might think if they had seen the two of you, a monster and a human, walking side by side.  
You, and your smile. 

Grillby caught Sans’ glance and walked over to him, silently hoping he would talk about his day, his jobs, his brother – anything. But he should have known that his friend would figure out what was going on. 

“can’t get your mind off of her, can you?” His grin was playful but kind.

The bartender kept quiet, like most of the time, but gave him a look that was a loud enough warning on its own. The skeleton didn’t take it. 

“heard she paid you another visit yesterday morning? how did that go, hm?” The wiggle of his eyebrows betrayed the real question he was asking, and Grillby couldn’t help the blue from creeping into his flames. 

“She only helped me with Muffet’s delivery.”

“you sure that’s all what happened? nothing else you can remember?” 

Grillby remembered that morning very well – he remembered every moment with you very well. How you had sat close to him, so close that he could have touched you if he had swayed a bit to the right, and how he had wanted you to come even closer. He remembered the moment the bottle slipped from your fingers and how he had reached forward to catch it, only to find himself inches from your face. Your enticing smell had clouded his mind almost instantly and the urge rose to cup your cheek, to pull you closer until your lips were almost touching – he hated himself for thinking about you this way.  
He had needed to take his distance after that, desperately hoping you wouldn’t take it as rude – but you hadn’t. You had even allowed him to help you with the pain in your muscles. 

_It’s okay, I trust you_

He could still feel your soft skin under his fingers. He could still feel your shoulders softly rise and fall with every breath. He could still feel the tension disappear under his touch. He could still hear your sigh, and just like then it caused a warmth very much unlike his own to rush through his body. 

He had been hesitant at first, not sure how fragile you were, but soon found out that you could handle quite some pressure, and he was glad that he had looked up some massaging techniques after Sans had hinted at your discomfort. 

_maybe Grillbz here can give you a massage?_

He didn’t want to admit that he had secretly been hoping for an opportunity to bring his newly learned skills into practice, an opportunity to touch you, and he had been more than content when fate acknowledged his wish – until you had turned the tables. 

He remembered the soft blush on your face when you realised he had to take off his shirt, only stoking up his urge to kiss you. You had asked him if he had been comfortable with it, with taking off his shirt in your presence and with letting you touch him, and he had needed to push back the thought that he would be comfortable taking everything off in your presence. By the gods he was being childish. 

And oh, your touch. Your touch had been so careful but growing in confidence as you went on, your fingers gliding over his body – it sent shivers down his spine, and it had been over way too soon. 

“I’m sure.” Grillby shot another look at Sans but knew his train of thought had been too obvious to miss, and he considered the battle lost. 

“why don’t you take her for another ride? go somewhere secluded, like the forest near Mt. Ebott or something, and when you’re finally alone the two of you can f-“

 **“Sans!”**

The whole bar fell silent and all the customers stared in their direction, eyes wide. Not many had ever heard Grillby talk, but certainly none had heard him yell. His fire had grown much taller and his face was completely blue now, but he quickly got himself back under control. After a short wave towards his patrons the sound level in the place slowly grew again and he turned back to Sans with a soft whisper. 

“____ and I are just friends.” 

“i can do something about that.” 

“Please, Sans. I don’t...” His voice trailed off. What didn’t he want? Of course he wanted to be closer to you, to be _more_ than just friends, but he didn’t want to lose you. He didn’t want to risk scaring you away. No, he would rather stay friends forever than risk never seeing you ever again. 

“either you ask her out or i’m gonna do it for you.” 

“I’ll think about it.” 

“at least come with me tomorrow afternoon, i promise you’re going to like what you’re going to see.” 

With a sigh Grillby gave in. Once his friend had set his mind on something it was nearly impossible to stop him, anyway. But now that the conversation had faded, his mind wandered again. What would you be doing right now? When would he see you again? He realised that he was completely dependable on you in that way; if you didn’t decide to come to his bar the chances were small he would see you anywhere else. What if you decided to never show up again? He could feel his heart contract painfully at the thought, causing him to frown slightly – he had known you for as little as three days, how was it possible he could feel so _much_? 

It felt as if he had known you for longer, weeks at least, but maybe that was because you visited him in his dreams as well. Thank the gods nothing dirty or he wouldn’t have been able to look you in the eye anymore – no, his dreams were... gentle. They were like those moments in which you realise that the feeling inside you is bliss. Like quiet mornings, a steaming cup of tea in your hand as you peek through the curtains and the soft light illuminates your graceful features. He could almost reach out and touch you, kiss you good morning, offer to make breakfast and sit in a comfortable silence as the two of you munch on some toast, but before he could you would turn around and smile at him, and the dream would fade. It was both calming and frustrating. 

In his dreams you never spoke, not even when he softly asked you something, and sometimes he began to worry that he had forgotten what your voice sounded like. At that point the dream would crumble and weigh down on him until he woke with the urge to call you, just to hear your voice one more time.  
But he didn’t. 

How could he call you in the middle of the night, without any possible excuse or topic to talk about? No, it would only wake you from the sleep that you needed, not to mention that it would be incredibly awkward as well. Maybe he could slowly start texting you, and maybe texting could evolve into talking over the phone, and maybe, just maybe, talking over the phone could evolve into talking face to face more often.  
He got his phone out of his pocket and tapped on your name in his contact list, now staring at his screen as he was trying to figure out what to say. 

“are you going to close early today?” 

He looked up at Sans, who had assumed that Grillby had taken out his phone to check the time, and shook his head. No, there was always the chance you would show up a bit later in the evening. Grillby suddenly knew what he was going to text – the answer was pretty much right in front of his face, now grinning like an idiot because he had figured out what Grillby was about to do. 

Grillby - 16:24  
Have you asked Papyrus and Alphys yet? 

His finger hovered above the send button. Was this too informal? Too abrupt? Should he begin with ‘good afternoon’ or something like that, or would that be too formal? But his finger twitched and the split second contact was enough for the smartphone to react to – and off the message went. He let out a sigh; the message had been sent and there was nothing he could do about it.  
He kept the phone in his hands and stared at it for a couple of seconds before he realised it could be hours before you responded, so he put it down on the bar with another soft sigh and went to take the new orders. 

XXX XXXX – 16:25  
Sans told me that Papyrus would like to join but I haven’t heard from Alphys yet . I’ll ask Sans when I see him 

XXX XXXX – 16:25  
BP and I will come for some burgers and fries around 5, if that’s okay?

Grillby – 16:26  
of course that’s okay, see you tonight bby xxx 

XXX XXXX – 16:26  
Sans give him his phone back

Grillby – 16:26  
what are you talking about? i am grillby, the hot bartender??? don’t you want a kiss???

XXX XXXX – 16:27  
Sanssss

Grillby – 16:26  
alphys wants to join as well btw, love you xxx grillby

You rolled your eyes and let out a short laugh. Maybe if the skeleton had used capital letters and appropriate language you might have fallen for his little impersonation, but this was just too obvious.

“Hey BP, Alphys will join the club as well!” You glanced over your shoulder and towards the kitchen from which the cat emerged, two cups of coffee in his hands (paws?) and a smile on his face.

“That’s great! The more actors we have the more plays we’ll be able to perform. I was thinking of some fairytales or some of Shakespeare’s plays? 

It took quite some time to figure out which plays would be appropriate and how many players were needed for simplified versions, and it was well past five before the two of you headed out. In your eagerness to see Grillby again you missed the man on the opposite pavement. 

BP picked up on your excitement and observed you through slightly squinted eyes. “Are you okay?” 

“Hm? Oh, yeah I’m fine. Why?” 

“I haven’t seen you like this before.”

“Like what?”

“All happy and beaming and dreamy?” 

You could feel a slight blush coming up. Was this who you were now? A giddy, childish woman – or maybe girl was a more appropriate term in this case – who started to bounce at the thought of seeing her crush? Great, now you were both awkward _and_ obvious. No wonder both Sans and Muffet had found out. 

“You only see me at work though, and you know how retail drains you both physically and mentally.” 

“Nah... this is different. When we went to get donuts you were much calmer. Wait-“ He stopped abruptly, eyes wide and locked on yours as you came to a halt as well. 

“What?” 

“Do you like-like one of the bargoers?”

“N-no, no I’m just more energetic today! Probably because I slept very well last night.” 

He squinted at you once more, scanning your face for any hint that you were lying, and he didn’t need to look for very long as your cheeks were gaining colour quickly. 

“Oh my God who is it? Is it Sans?”

“What! No! He’s just a friend. I’m serious. That guy drinks condiments like it’s freaking lemonade.”

The cat let out a burst of laughter and started walking again. “Okay okay, not Sans. But who else can it be... Not Dogamy, he’s married... Doggo, then? Nah that’s not your type. Or is that not your area? Which is fine, by the way. Muffet, then?” 

You sighed, knowing that he would find out sooner or later. “I will tell you, but _only_ if you keep it secret. Understand?” 

His ears perked up in curiosity and a grin appeared on his face. “Who is it?”

“If you don’t keep this secret I will personally skin you and use you as a rug-” 

“Fine, fine! I’ll keep it secret, alright? No need to threaten me.” He let out another laugh, but quickly gave you all his attention again. 

“...It’s Grillby.” 

“Holy shit no way-” 

“Keep. It. Secret.” Your voice softened, a somber undertone to your words. “ I don’t want to risk our friendship, however fragile it already is. And maybe it’s just spring fever, you know? It could be over within days. I just... I’d love to just stay friends with him.” 

Burgerpants’ grin fell to a gentle smile. “Don’t worry about it, okay? Of course I’ll keep it secret. I didn’t know you were one to fall for a monster though.” 

You smiled back at him. “Me neither. It actually feels pretty good to tell this to someone, to get it off my chest. So thanks.” 

“No problem, buddy. You can tell me anything – that’s what friends are for, right?” He seemed a bit hesitant, but you quickly nodded. 

“Exactly. And the same goes for you; if there anything you need to talk about, I’ll be there to listen.” 

The two of you entered the bar and you waved at everyone, accepting their greetings with a wide smile. You sat down next to Sans, ignoring his stupid smirk and waving at Grillby to let him know you had arrived. Your smile grew when he waved back and signed that he was still taking some orders, but that he would be there in a moment. 

“You know, I used to think that ‘friendship’ was just a hot person’s way of making you their slave, but I guess I was wrong.” 

The smile he gave you both broke and mended your heart and you couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. “Don’t worry, I’m not hot and I would never use you as my ‘slave’.” You gave him a pat on the shoulder. “I’m glad you changed your mind.” 

“i think grillbz would like to object.” 

You looked at Sans, shifted your gaze to the bartender, and turned back to Sans again, your eyebrows slightly scrunched in confusion. 

“____ is pretty hot, right, grillbz?” 

You softly facepalmed one side of your face, letting out a soft groan. “Shouldn’t you be saying that Grillby is the hot one here?” 

“oh so you think _grillby_ is hot?” 

“No- I mean yes- I mean- like the pun and because he’s literally on fire- not that he isn’t _hot_ \- but because of your puns and - oh my god Sans why do you allow me to keep talking-“

Grillby was blushing a bright blue and your face was completely red, and both BP and Sans were now loudly laughing. You buried your face in your hands. 

“I’m going to drink this all away and get so fucking drunk tonight. Vodka, please.” 

Grillby hurried off to get you your order and you sighed deeply. You weren’t much of a drinker and getting drunk wasn’t really your style, but fuck you needed it now. You had probably just ruined your friendship with Grillby and you were desperately trying to resist the urge to throw Sans across the room – and seeing that you were staying here at least another hour, drinking seemed to be the only solution. Good thing it was Saturday tomorrow so you didn’t have class, and you only needed to work in the afternoon. 

You didn’t know what type of drunk person you were, though. You tried to remember all types – there was the happy drunk, the angry drunk, the sad drunk... the silly drunk? Oh god, what if you were the touchy sentimental drunk?  
There was only one way to find out. 

Grillby returned and put the vodka down in front of you with visible hesitation. “Maybe it is better if you ate something first –“ 

But as soon as you heard the clang of glass on wood you grabbed your drink and downed that shit like it was water – half choking as the alcohol burned your throat. Sans gave you a few strong pats on your back, his booming laugh filling the room. 

Somewhere that evening you ordered a burger and some fries but you only remembered it vaguely. You downed another cocktail, a shot, and even a glass of wine as your drunk self was feeling ‘classy’, and in the meanwhile the bar was slowly growing emptier and emptier. 

“I gotta go home. Morning shift, sadly. See you tomorrow, ____.” 

“Noo, BP, please stay?” 

“Nope. See ya, buddy!” 

You draped yourself over the bar again, your cheek pressing uncomfortably into the dark wood, but you didn’t care. You had lost the ability to care. Even Sans left, something about a bedtime story for his brother, and soon you were the only one left, swaying from left to right on your chair as the whole room was spinning faster and faster around you. 

You felt a hand on your shoulder, the touch gentle but enough to make you lose focus and fall backwards off of your chair – but you didn’t hit the ground. You were caught in a warm embrace of two strong arms and a chest, and your whole body relaxed instantly. You weren’t going to fall, and if you were, someone was going to catch you. Maybe that was a metaphor for your life. What was the meaning of your life? Oh god you were going to get old someday and die a death! 

“I think it’s time to go home.” 

“I don’t wanna go home, home is cold and lonely. Please let me stay?” 

The man of fire shifted a bit and tried to pull you up to your feet, but it was as if your whole body had gone limp. He let out a soft sigh before bending down and wrapping one arm under your knees and one around your back, lifting you up bridal-style. There was no way you could walk home or sit on the back of his motorcycle, and although Grillby was strong, it was quite the walk to your apartment and his arms would get tired after a while – and in addition it wasn’t a good idea to walk around as a male fire monster carrying a drunk or asleep female human in the middle of the night. There was no other option than to let you stay. 

He carried you through the door behind the bar and turned left and up the stairs, elbowing his door open before carrying you inside and to the bedroom. He could feel a blush creeping on his face but he desperately tried to push it back. 

He gently lay you down on the sheets. “Stay here, I’m going to close the bar.” 

“No don’t leave me!”

But he was already halfway down the stairs. With trained speed he cleaned the tables, chairs, bar, and floor, before turning the sign to ‘closed’ and locking the door. With a flick of his wrist he turned off the light and hurried back upstairs. When he glanced into the bedroom he noticed you had buried yourself under the covers, only your head poking out and your eyes focused – well, sort of focussed? – on him. 

“Please don’t leave me?” 

The look in your eyes was pleading, almost desperate, and he could feel how his heart got tugged towards you if you could call it that way. Step for slow and careful step he made his way to the bedside, unsure what to do until you patted the place on the bed next to you. His face became blue once more, and this time it was almost impossible to get rid of the blush. 

“I will be sleeping on the couch on the other side of that door, all right?” 

“No please stay. Please. Don’t leave?” 

Only now did he notice the tears forming in the corners of your eyes and he felt his chest contract painfully – maybe you were going to hate him if he did this, but he would deal with that in the morning. He took off his black bartender vest and dress shoes but left his pants and white dress shirt on – he could only imagine how you would react to waking up next to a half naked man of fire. 

Good gods was he really doing this? 

He felt your hand softly tugging on his arm, and he got in under the covers next to you, face completely blue. Yup, he was really doing this. 

He turned on his side and met your gaze. The way his reds, oranges and yellows reflected in your teary eyes made his heart skip a beat, but your smile made everything all right. It was the most grateful smile he had ever seen, a look so honest it could break a man’s heart, and he found himself smiling back at you, aching to reach forward and gently put the stand of loose hair behind your ears – but he could restrain himself. 

It was obvious you had lost all boundaries and reasonable thinking as you were staring into his eyes for much longer than socially acceptable, and he could feel something not unlike butterflies move inside his stomach, but he was unable to look away, until you suddenly scooted closer and pressed yourself against him. 

Only then did he realise you were only wearing your underwear. 

His breath hitched, his flames skyrocketed to twice their size, and his face could barely get any bluer, but your arms were wrapped tightly around his waist, keeping him in place with a strength that surprised him. 

You nuzzled your cheek against his chest and pulled him even closer until almost every inch of your chest was pressed against his, and the now familiar warmth coursed through his veins once more. He could hear you mumble something that sounded like ‘thank you’, but he wasn’t sure as his heartbeat was booming in his ears. He noticed how both your heartbeats were complete opposites – his going as fast as physically possible, yours going slow and steady, and in some inexplicable way it soothed his to a gradually lower tempo as well. 

As there was nowhere else to leave his arms he gently wrapped them around you, and he could feel you smile through his shirt – but he could feel something else too. Tiny drops of water created spots on the fabric.  
You were silently crying. 

He could feel his heart contract. It probably was the alcohol but you had shown barely any signs of being a sad drunk – so he made a mental note to gently inquire about it later. For now, the only thing he could do was keep holding you, rubbing your back soothingly and trying to keep his body as still as possible. 

Your sweet smell filled his lungs and he could feel your skin through his clothes, and he couldn’t help but think that this was what he wanted – but without the alcohol in your blood and breath. With you in his arms he felt himself fading into the world of dreams far sooner than any other night, and soon his consciousness had left him.

That night he dreamt about you once more, but this time he could hear your voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments keep my soul warm, kudos keep me smiling <3


	8. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you wake up in a strange house, and a deal ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hah, did I say I would upload another chapter on Saturday? Well, why not on a tuesday! \\( °٢° )/  
> I'm kinda uploading more chapters because I'll be in England for three weeks in July, so I hope to finish at least two more chapters before Sunday and hopefully two more before I leave. 
> 
> I wrote this with 'Arrival of the Birds' in the background and I think it fits the mood pretty well ( ˘v˘ )  
> http://listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=r2rIm_Td2Mk#cinematic_orchestra____arrival_of_the_birds
> 
> This chapter is pretty short, especially compared to the last one, but it felt like a natural stop so I kinda took it.  
> I hope it's still enjoyable!

Your hazy dreams started to fade and you buried your face even deeper in the soft fabric, pulling the warmth closer as you refused to wake up. A wonderful smell, like a distant campfire or a low-burning fireplace, wrapped itself around you as you became more and more aware of everything else. You hadn’t slept this well in months – so well that you felt rested enough to be able to deal with your hangover. The alcohol hadn’t fully left your system yet and you could feel a nasty headache coming up, but the soft covers and the man in your arms made it ten times more bearable. Wait -

Your eyes flew wide open and you carefully moved your head backwards a bit, only to see Grillby sound asleep in your embrace - his arms were wrapped around you and your legs were intertwined under the sheets, his chest slowly rising and falling under his steady breathing. He looked so peaceful, so beautiful, and you studied his face more closely as his glasses were now nowhere to be seen. He really was handsome and it was no surprise that your drunk self hadn’t been able to control herself; you wanted to touch his face, let your fingers move over his cheek and through the flames atop of his head. You wanted to kiss him. You could kiss him, and maybe he would never find out. 

Part of you was absolutely horrified that you had gone this far so freaking soon, but a larger part was frustrated with the fact that you couldn’t remember anything. If you had frickle frackled with your crush you at least wanted to remember it, right? 

You wanted to slap yourself for thinking such things. Maybe nothing happened at all, maybe you hadn’t done anything, maybe this wasn’t what this looked like. He was still wearing his shirt and pants and you were still wearing your underwear, so that could be a sign, right? By the Gods you needed to get dressed and apologise for everything you might have done. 

You couldn’t help but letting your hands slide over his body one more time while retracting your arms but you made sure to be careful – you didn’t want to wake him. Softly grabbing his arms and loosening them you freed your upper body from his gentle grasp before trying to untangle your legs and slowly scooting backwards towards the edge of the bed, nearly falling off as you kept your eyes on his face the whole time to make sure he wasn’t waking up. 

As you stood you noticed that your back felt a bit stiff from the cuddle-like position you had apparently stayed in for quite a while, so you silently swung your arms in the air and bent backwards a bit, slightly startled by the loud pop that followed. You stood frozen in that position, your heart beating in your throat as you heard the sheets move, and after a moment of terror and hesitation you slowly turned around to see a _very_ blue Grillby sitting up straight and looking in the other direction. He had practically seen you naked. 

You quickly let yourself fall to the floor to put on your shirt and jeans ( somewhat relieved it didn’t smell like vomit), the butterflies in your stomach going wild and a familiar warmth flowing through your body and pooling in your abdomen. This was _not_ a good time to feel aroused. Nope. You needed to calm the fuck down. 

Once you had your heart back under control for as far as possible, you dared to stand up and make eye contact with the man of fire, your face as red as his flames. You hated yourself for stuttering. 

“Last night... D-did anything... Did we...” 

His flames grew higher and his blush deepened a few shades, but he quickly shook his head. “No. You asked me to... stay. To lay next to you.” 

Oh great, you were the freaking _lonely_ drunk. Well, it could have been worse. You let out a soft sigh and gave him a slightly awkward and apologetic smile. 

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have gotten drunk. You’ve been going through all this trouble just because I made a terribly stupid decision, and I’m so sorry for making you do those things-“ 

“I didn’t mind.” 

You fell silent. The butterflies in your stomach seemed to rip you apart from the inside and it hurt so much and so good that you wanted to hit yourself in the solar plexus, damn it. This man could drive you insane with as little as a single sentence and the worst part was that he didn’t even know he could. You needed to force back any other thought than that he was a friend, just a friend, and that he had helped you like any other friend would have done. If he had been drunk you would have done the same, because the two of you were friends. Just. Friends. 

Grillby, still blushing brightly, stood up and tried to smooth out the wrinkles in his shirt, but to no avail. He looked a bit dishevelled, his shirt only partly tucked into his pants that hung a bit lower on his hips, and you could even see the formation of the flames atop of his head as the fire-version of a bed-head – and _fuck_ it was sexy. You could imagine him approaching you, pushing you against the wall and pinning your hands above your head as he brought his lips to yours and-  
No. Get yourself back together. You are a guest, he is a friend, and this is _not_ appropriate. 

“I’m... I’m going to make breakfast. Please make yourself comfortable.” 

And he was gone. Even his voice was raspy and lower than usual, and you could only hope you could refrain from any urges that might rise. Luckily, now that he was out of sight, the only thing that was rising was your headache.

You walked towards the door that led to the living room but cast a last glance through the bedroom before you stepped through. The light that shone through the curtains gave the space a calm and pleasant atmosphere; the large bed in which the two of you had slept was at least queen size but came nowhere near filling the large room, and there wasn’t much other furniture apart from a reasonably sized desk, a bedside table, and a comfy-looking armchair. It was pretty obvious he used his bedroom mostly, if not only for sleeping. 

As you stepped into the living room you noticed that the floor here was of the same dark wood as in the bedroom, giving the place a warm and home-like feeling to it, and it was just as spacious. That wasn’t too surprising, however, as most buildings in this neighbourhood were quite luxurious. It didn’t look empty, though – Grillby had used the available space both fashionably and practically: one wall was completely covered by a large bookcase that was filled to the brim with well-read books in all colours and sizes, and in the middle of the room stood a beautiful, modern yet classy coffee table surrounded by a large sofa and another armchair. In the corner a modern TV on a TV unit, on which another couple of books were stacked, and next to the large window a door that led to a balcony.

Besides books there were many plants as well, mostly succulents and more tropical and heat-tolerant plants, and for some reason it made you giggle - a fire creature that enjoyed taking care of plants felt like a rather ironic twist of fate.  
The colours and decorations were balanced, and altogether it was a lovely place to be. If your apartment had been even half as homely you would barely ever go outside. Yeah, you could definitely enjoy living here.  
Wait, no, not that you were counting on living with Grillby. Not that you didn’t want it but – woah, you needed to slow down. Three days, 72 hours, maybe a couple of hours longer, that was how long you had known him.

To get your mind off of your current train of thought you wandered over to the window, softly pushing the curtains aside as you peeked at the world outside. It was still early, mist clouded the further streets from your view and the sky was still grey, but it looked as if it would clear up later in the morning. 

Grillby almost let the plates fall from his grasp as he stepped into the living room and noticed you by the window. You were even more beautiful than in his dreams now that you actually stood before him, living and breathing, and it took his breath away. He could feel his heart stop for a moment as he took in every little detail - the contour of your face, your messy hair, the way your shirt fell around your frame, the relaxed posture and the distant look in your eyes - he could feel his soul quiver in his chest. If you turned around smiling, he didn’t know if he would survive. 

He quickly made his way to your side to hand you a plate, knowing he needed to look you in the eye if he wanted to be polite, but could he? He felt like his legs would give if he did. He did not want you to think he was rude, especially not if you were feeling uncomfortable because of last night, and so there was no other option than to raise his glance and to meet your gaze. 

The smile you gave him made his heart contract and swell, his stomach twist and turn, his thoughts go crazy. Your eyes, your lips... His eyes lingered on your them, until he realised it wasn’t acceptable. What if you noticed? What if you found out? Would you hate him, never returning to his bar ever again? He quickly shifted his gaze back to where it should, and smiled at you. 

“If there’s anything else you need, please ask.”

You nodded and... did your eyes linger on his? Was there a chance you felt the same way? He felt a spark of hope suddenly grow exponentially, almost exploding into massive size, but he desperately tried to keep it contained. The way you had looked at him when you noticed he was awake, it had been a look of pure horror. A painful sting pierced his heart. No, there was no way you could feel the same. You were human, he was a fire elemental – it just wasn’t ‘meant to be’.

As he ate some of his own breakfast he stared into nothingness, his mind returning to last night – and to this morning, when you had only worn your underwear- fuck, he needed to calm down. When was the last time he had felt like this? Had it ever been this bad? He felt helpless, unable to control his own thoughts and body anymore. It wouldn’t be long before he couldn’t keep his dreams... pure... anymore.  
His situation, his behaviour, it could easily be compared to a drug addict. He needed his fix – your voice, your smile, your skin on his – but the more he got, the more he needed, and it was driving him insane. Didn’t you know you were unravelling him? Couldn’t you see you were taking him apart piece by piece, so agonizingly slowly yet too fast for him to possibly cope? 

“Uhm, there might be one thing. Do you have something like an aspirin, maybe? I’ve got this headache coming up, so...” 

Your voice was soft, just above a whisper, and he drank in every word before he formulated his response. “Of course.” 

He made his way back to the kitchen, grabbing a glass and setting it in the sink, underneath the tap. He slowly lifted the handle on top and waited until the glass was full before he closed it again, now first getting the two small pills before picking up the glass and carefully bringing it to you. When you noticed the glass in his hands your eyes grew wide with concern and you took it from him with the utmost care so as not to spill a single drop on his hands. He saw how you wanted to object, to tell him it hadn’t been necessary and not to mention dangerous, but he also saw how you decided it couldn’t be helped – the glass was already in your hands and the danger had passed.  
He couldn’t help but smile at the expressions on your face, how you opened your mouth to say something only to close it moments after with a soft sigh, and he knew that if he had been an artist, he would have found his muse. 

Maybe that could be his excuse? If he took some drawing classes, he could ask you to be his model to get a hang of anatomy. He would be allowed to look at you for much longer, no more stolen glances from the corner of his eyes, and he would be able to spend more time with you without seeming creepy or intrusive. He had wanted to learn how to draw for quite some time anyway, though he had never found the real motivation. Maybe he could take up lessons with Alphys? Though her style was a particular kind, something that sounded like ‘mango’ if he remembered correctly, and he was looking for a rather realistic approach. Sans had been studying human anatomy for quite some time, but that was purely scientific, and Grillby doubted that the skeleton could draw – it wasn’t like him to put more energy into something than absolutely necessary. But taking up classes with humans didn’t seem like a good idea either, so maybe the only option for him was to teach himself- 

“Penny for your thoughts.” 

The words he had spoken the morning you had helped him with Muffet’s delivery, now coming from you, a playful smile on your lips as you realised this just as well, and he found himself copying your smile. 

“I was thinking about taking up drawing lessons.” 

“Really? That’s so cool! Where?” 

“I... don’t know. I don’t know any monster who can draw, and human classes might not be the best idea.” 

He braced himself for what he was going to say next – he had your full attention, but the way your eyes sparkled with curiosity caused the words to get stuck in his throat for a second. What if you refused? What if you thought it was weird after all? But he knew that if he didn’t ask, it would be bothering him for quite some time - and so he took a deep breath and went for it. 

“I thought I might be able to teach myself, if I put enough effort and time in it. So I was wondering... if you would like to be my art model?”

His heart sank as you stared at him in silence, a blush creeping onto your cheeks. He shouldn’t have asked, it was definitely weird and you were most likely going to think of him as a creep. How could he be such an idiot? It was as if you had taken his rational thinking, crumbled it to a ball, and thrown it out of the window of a ten-storey building.  
But then your lips started to form a smile and you tried to cover it with your hand - but it were your eyes that were smiling as well, and when you spoke your voice had a slight waver of shyness. 

“I... uh... yes, of course! I mean- I’m flattered and... yes.” When you let out a soft giggle he needed all his self-control to keep himself from kissing you.

“B-but only with clothes on!”

His face went blue in an instant, and when he noticed your face was beet red of blushing just as hard, he couldn’t contain his laugh any longer. 

You stared at him, at his dancing and crackling flames as he laughed loudly, a sound so full and rounded you could feel your heart speed up even faster. It was mesmerising to see how he tried to get himself back together so he could say something, and it took a while before he could finally utter a word. 

“Of course. I only want you to do whatever you’re comfortable with.”

His smile was so wide you found yourself chuckling as well, and before you knew it you had stuck out your hand. The scenery reminded you of the first time you had met him, and suddenly you felt more grateful than ever for getting the chance to meet him. You finally had an excuse to see him more often, to get to know about him from his own mouth, to come by his house more often. The way his flames were brighter than usual and the smile on his face, in combination with his dishevelled looks, convinced you that this image would never leave your mind – and you didn’t want it to ever leave. 

“Deal.” 

The man of fire took your hand and your eyes locked, your smiles visible in both of them. 

“Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments keep me healthy, kudos keep me lovin' it <3
> 
> If you see any typo's or weird looking sentences, please tell me, I'll fix it right away!


	9. No Dignity Left

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grillby tells stories about his former wishes, and the two of you say goodbye - but not for a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think I'll be able to upload the second chapter I promised before Sunday, so it might get postponed as far as tuesday if the writer's block stays at bay. 
> 
> Ok so I had some trouble uploading this one, so please let me know if there's anything that doesn't seem right!
> 
> Please enjoy!

The two of you ate the rest of your breakfast on the couch, the sound of birds the only thing breaking the comfortable silence. 

The headache had started to kick in but the painkillers kept it bearable and the food kept your mind distracted. You felt at peace. The man sitting on the other side of the couch, legs crossed and slightly slouching, had asked you to be his art model only moments ago - and when you thought about it you could feel your heart glow. Your drunk self hadn’t been horrible enough to scare him off and your hangover self had even been able to make him laugh, so you felt pretty confident he would stick around no matter what stupid shit you got yourself into.  
A part of you wanted to ask further about last night, the things you had said or done, just to know how bad it had been. You knew you had been clingy, asking him to stay and sleep next to you (and you couldn’t blame yourself), but who knows - you might have dropped your glass of vodka or wine or whatever it was you had downed that night, and it would only be right to pay for whatever damage you had done.  
But you didn’t want to break the quiet and comfortable atmosphere to make things awkward again. Maybe it was better to leave it for another time, there would be lots of meet-ups for his drawing practice anyway. 

But why you? Why not Sans, who sat in his bar all the time anyway? You weren’t particularly beautiful, not as far as you knew anyway, and a human. Wouldn’t monsters rather draw monsters? Or was that a racist thing to say? The man of fire puzzled you in so many ways that you barely knew what to think, and every answer only gave you more questions. 

There were a few things you had been able to figure out on your own, such as his love of reading both fiction and famous literary works judging by the large collection of books present in his house, and of course his love of plants. He knew at least something about interior design and he had a creative side, otherwise he wouldn’t voluntarily take up drawing, and not to mention his great cooking skills. He was a gentleman, kind-hearted and a good listener, but also a badass motorcyclist that wore a leather jacket even though he was made of fire and water was his only enemy – so it could only be for looking cool. 

A smile spread on your lips at that realisation. Did he know he was handsome? Did he know that everything looked good on him, _especially_ a black leather jacket?  
You quickly took another bite of your toast to hide your sudden amusement, but from one glance at Grillby you could see he had noticed it – he was looking at you, his expression puzzled and his head slightly tipped to the side, only causing your smile to grow. 

“It’s nothing, I just realised something.” 

“Hm?” 

“You totally wear that leather jacket just to look cool.” Your grin was teasing now, your eyes slightly squinted as if to emphasize that you saw straight through him. 

His chuckle filled the room and your heart fluttered at the sound of it. “I must confess that I don’t need it for protection.” 

“I knew it.” 

You hesitated. Would it be alright to ask about his time under the mountain? You were going to risk it. 

“So did you have motorcycles where you lived?” 

Grillby noticed your hesitation and smiled. “No, but I used to rent a couple of movies at the library and some of them featured motorcyclists. It was one of my wishes, if we ever saw the surface again.” 

“I completely understand if it’s something you’d rather not talk about, so don’t be afraid to say so. I can live without you answering every single silly question I have.” You let out a soft chuckle, hoping you hadn’t been too prying. 

“It’s fine. I have good memories from that time and you’re always welcome to ask about it. I know the concept must sound strange.” 

“You said one of your wishes? What were the others?” 

He thought for a moment, silently staring at nothing in particular. He wasn’t going to mention that ‘finding a partner’ had been something he would have liked as it would only make things awkward, and maybe it was for the best if he left out the wish for studying at a university – he had given up on that as soon as he had heard about the avid hate of monsters most people seemed to possess.

“In the Underground we only had one library, and most of the books were written by monsters. Sometimes books from the surface would end up on the garbage dump, taken with the current of the waterfalls, but the water ruined most of them. I had been reading the same books over and over, so one of the first things I wanted to do when I came to the surface was to go to a bookstore.” 

You were staring at him as if you were in trance – was there something on his face? When he raised his hand to wipe his mouth with the back of his hand you giggled, waving sloppily with one hand.

“No, no, there’s nothing on your face. It’s just that I’ve never heard you say that much, sorry.” 

It was true, he didn’t speak often, and if he did it usually wasn’t more than a couple of sentences. But for you, for you he would keep talking for hours if you wished him to. He already found himself to be chattier when you were around, and not because he was afraid you wouldn’t be able to read his body language – you had been doing that quite well. He wanted to talk with you, to keep the conversation going whenever you started one, to hear your voice and to hear the things you had to tell. He knew it would frustrate him if you would suddenly stop talking to him, or only answer in short sentences – was that what you felt? Frustration? 

“...Does it bother you?” 

“What? That you don’t talk as much as others? Of course not, why would you think that?” Your smile was as kind as always. “It’s who you are – or your decision, and I’ll respect that.” 

What had monster kind – or humanity, for that matter – done to deserve you?  
Suddenly he wondered what colour your Soul would be. His first guess would be green – with kindness as the dominant trait, but it was also very much possible that it was blue for integrity; as far as he knew you treated monsters and humans as equals, and he could imagine your morals were strong in that way.  
He didn’t dare to ask, however. Asking to see your Soul would be like asking to see you naked (he desperately tried not to blush as his mind returned to the scenery of you in your underwear) and it would be like asking you to expose yourself, to be vulnerable to a man you hadn’t known for very long. Besides, he didn’t know if he would be comfortable with showing you his own Soul – the ugly, colourless, upside down heart. If you asked for it he would show you, but he was afraid you might not like what you would see. 

You had begun to shift in your spot on the couch, clearly uncomfortable with his silent staring, so he quickly met your gaze and sent you a smile. 

“Thank you.” 

For another couple of hours the two of you talked about his life under Mt. Ebott, about the village Snowdin, his former bar, and even about some of the books the both of you had read. He had learned a bit about you and your life on the first day you met, but this was different. After one of his stories you would give a similar one of your own, and from the way you told them and the things that happened in those tales he learned so much more about you. The way you energetically acted out the stories with gestures made him chuckle more than once, and the way your eyes shone caused the butterflies to emerge ever so often. He could listen to your melodious voice for days, and when you said his name his heart skipped a beat. 

 

You lost track of time as the two of you swapped stories, and you absorbed every single one he told like it was the oxygen you needed to breathe. It was fun to discuss some of your favourite books – not many people you knew had read them and it had been ages since you’d had the chance to talk about them, and of course it delighted you that you and he had things in common. Only when your phone started vibrating and the familiar tune interrupted the conversation you felt like you were back in reality again. 

“I’m sorry, it’s my boss. I have to take this.” You gave the man in front of you an apologetic smile before answering the phone. “Hello, this is ____.” 

But it wasn’t the voice of the old man - it was much younger and rather metallic, and you recognised it immediately. 

“Hello darling! I’m just calling to ask you your size.” 

“Size?” 

“For your new work outfit, of course!” 

After a few seconds of silence you gave him what he needed, but the frown stuck. A new outfit? Oh god, what if it was all pink and glittery and ‘screaming-for-attention’? You hadn’t actually seen MTT brand clothes yet, but if it was designed by Mettaton then it could only be as... extravagant... as the monster himself. 

“I’ll be there personally to see which outfit looks best on you, so I’ll see you in one and a half hour.” 

And he hung up. 

Fuck, only ninety minutes before you had to go to work and you still had to shower, remove and re-apply your make-up, and make sure your hair didn’t look too terrible. You put your phone back in your pocket and let out a soft sigh, only meeting Grillby’s eyes after you had taken a deep breath. You didn’t want to leave yet. You would have to thank him for taking care of you and the both of you would be reminded of last night, ending the conversation on an awkward note, and you were not quite ready to let go of the peace and bliss you felt yet.  
You quickly reminded yourself of the fact that you would be coming back here more often so there was no reason to pout, and you still had your own apartment you needed to pay for.

On the topic of your apartment - that plumber hadn’t been very good at his job; everything seemed just as leaking and broken as it had before. It wasn’t really a surprise, though, they had probably hired the cheapest of them all, but it did mean that you’d have to call and pay for one yourself – which you didn’t exactly have the money for. So off to work it was. 

“I’m sorry, I completely forgot about work. I eh... I need to go.” 

He nodded and the both of you stood up. You were unsure what to do or what to say, so when Grillby started walking towards the door you felt some kind of relief. He grabbed his leather jacket with a smirk, led you down to and through the empty bar, and soon the two of you stood outside of the building. 

You positioned yourself on the seat behind him on his motorcycle, your arms around his waist from the start this time, and even though you weren’t exactly comfortable with driving without a helmet on you felt comfortable and protected enough to enjoy the ride home. Once again it was over before you knew it, and the two of you stood in front of the entrance to the block of flats in which you resided. 

“Thanks again, for... for taking care of me.” You sent him a soft smile, though it was more for your own reassurance that it would be okay; the incident of last night would soon be forgotten and the two of you would be able to continue to be comfortable around each other just like before. “I’ll text you my schedule so we can settle a time and day for the drawing lessons. So ehm... I guess I’ll see you later.” 

After a last exchange of smiles and waves you speed-walked up the stairs, and a thorough shower and fifteen minutes in front of the mirror later you were on your way to the store. 

 

An almost unnoticeable shift in the air announced Sans’ arrival, and Grillby turned around to face him. He and the skeleton had been friends for longer than he could remember; but this also came with some disadvantages: The skeleton could pinpoint his mood and thought process with ease, and -

“oh my god did ____ stay the night?” 

He could sense almost any change. 

Grillby shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his slight awkwardness obvious to his friend. “Yes. She was too inebriated to get home and she asked to stay.”

“did the two of you have _fun_?” His wide grin had a smug edge to it. 

“You know I would never take advantage of her like that.”

He let out a soft sigh. “i know, i know, just ask her out some time. it’s obvious you like her, the whole bar talks about it.” 

Grillby froze in the non-literal sense. If his patrons talked about it he knew it would soon become the main topic of the whole monster district, and the risk of you finding out would grow ten times as big. He could feel his heart contract painfully at the image of your shocked face and he clenched his fists – this was not good. Not good at all. 

“don’t worry about it, grillbz. they know you wouldn’t want her to hear about it from anyone but yourself-” 

The man of fire let gravity do most of the work as he sat down on the couch, his hand going through the flames atop of his head and showing his frustration. Sooner or later you would find out. What would you think of him?

“seriously tho, grillby,” the skeleton teleported himself to the other end of the couch, “don’t worry too much. you know there’s a good chance she likes you back, right?”

He stayed silent. Of course there was a chance you would like him back, and if one looked at it in terms of ‘yes and no’ there was a 50% chance to be exact, and yes it had crossed his mind so many times before – but he didn’t allow himself to get his hopes up. His dreams were torturous enough during the night, he definitely didn’t need them during the day. He had noticed how his mind kept slipping back to images of you and he had tried to stop it, it had too much of a negative impact on his focus. Oblivion was never a good thing. 

“y’know i wanted to take you somewhere today, but i don’t think that’s such a good idea anymore...”

Grillby let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes for a moment. He needed to get himself together, and maybe an outing was good for taking his mind off of things. He still had two hours before he could open the bar, and spending time with a good friend might exactly be what he needed right now. 

“I’ll come.” 

“are you sure? I mean-“ 

“Yes. Where did you want to go?” 

“the shopping street but-“ 

“Let’s go.” He stood up and strode over to the door, putting on his coat before heading downstairs. 

 

You punched in to let the system know you had arrived and walked to the tiny kitchen in the back, making your way to the prehistoric coffee machine. You didn’t trust the tea here, or the tap water for that matter, so it was your only, horribly disgusting but energy boosting option. And it had been right on time – the moment you had finished your cup of black liquid from hell Mettaton burst through the door, followed by a painfully depressed looking BP. 

“There you are! Come, I’ve put your new outfit in the changing booth for lack of better accommodation. Don’t worry honey, we’ll expand this place and make it the most luxurious and fabulous shop in the whole city, which means no more...” He made a weird hand movement towards your cup, face contorted in disgust, “whatever it was you just put in your mouth. Only the best of the best and obviously all MTT brand! But enough about that, let’s get you changed and ready to work!”  
And before you had the time to respond he grabbed your arm and pulled you behind him and through the shop, after which he almost threw you into the booth. 

“It’s all there, just come out whenever you’re done, but please make it quick. We haven’t got all day, darling – oh look, there are our first customers!” But you had already pulled the heavy and bright pink curtain in front of the opening.

 

“grillbz i think it might be best if we leave-“ 

“Hello boys! Our best employee will be here to attend to your every need in a couple of minutes. Until then Burgerpants will have to do, but I understand if you’d like to wait. Now I’ll be attending to some paperwork, but if there’s anything you need from me, just send Burgerpants. Okay?” 

Sans turned back to Grillby, a cautious look on his face. “really, i think we need to-“ 

**”WHAT?! NO WAY IN _HELL_ I’M WEARING THIS!”**

Grillby’s gaze shifted to the changing booth, his eyes slightly wider. He would recognise that voice anywhere. 

“Where the freaking – where is that metal piece of – fucking – “ 

The curtain got thrown to the side and there you stood, in a black skirt that was only just long enough to cover what needed to be covered, stockings that were way too sexy for any kind of workplace, and a pink shirt so tight it created an exaggerated cleavage that was hard to miss - it wouldn’t look out of place in a role play porn. 

Your gazes locked. 

Your cheeks grew a bright red within a second and Grillby’s flames whooshed to twice their size, a deep blue woven through his fire. Even a hue of cyan had appeared on Sans’ face – he had predicted that this would happen and at first it had been his plan to show Grillby, but he hadn’t expected it to be this... er... ~~sexual~~ revealing. Even BP tried to hide his blush and quickly went to the back again. 

You quickly threw yourself back into the booth and covered yourself with the curtain, your heart beating so fast you feared it would implode. Out of all possible people, _why_ Grillby? It was probably Sans' idea. Ohhhhh you were going to kill that son of a - 

“t’was nice seeing you but we gotta go bye!” 

And Sans teleported himself and the man of fire back to his friend’s apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Comments keep the writer's block at bay, kudos give me inspiration <3
> 
> Please feel free to leave a critique or a comment telling me what you think or how you feel, I'd love to improve my writing so I can make it more enjoyable!


	10. A Different Side of Him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another one finds out about your secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh god thank you so much for all the kudos and comments, I love every single one of you so much! ♥~ (●´ω｀●) 
> 
> There's some bad news, though. I would like this story to continue forever, honestly, but I have an ending set out and it won't be much longer anymore. Of course I could continue after the ending, but I just know the quality of the content and writing, and the length of the chapters will drop and there will be absolutely no plot whatsoever, unless I figure something out. I'll try my very best to see what I can do, but I don't know what's better: giving this fic a final chapter and ending it on a natural ending, or go on writing one-chapter happenings until I run out of inspiration and let the fic sit unfinished. 
> 
> Maybe I could make like a part two with different scenarios, but I'd like to hear your opinions on this.  
> Also don't be afraid to leave critiques on any chapter, I want to make this story as enjoyable as possible!

You couldn’t leave the changing booth, not while your face was still resembling the colour of a strawberry, so you changed back and sat down on the pink stool in the corner. The amount of pink around you (the curtain, the mirror frame, the ceiling, the stool) was too much, it felt confining.  
You didn’t necessarily dislike pink; it was actually a rather pretty colour in your opinion, but this much in one building made your vision start to spin – though the crushing of your lungs in that corset-like shirt could have played a part in that as well.

You looked at the miserable heap of clothing at your feet. Grillby had officially seen you in the worst, most porn-y clothes ever, and the memory of his chocked face sent tiny evil pricks through your heart. You probably didn’t have any dignity left in his eyes, or anything near it, and you wondered if there was some kind of magic that could wipe minds.  
Maybe that was your solution, wiping your mind from the moment you met Grillby and onwards and blaming it on having hit your head. You would be free of all this tension you felt while you were around him, free of all the awkwardness, and blissfully unaware of all the stupid things you had done. 

But was it worth it? 

Was it worth forgetting about the way his hands had felt on your skin, or the way his voice could make your heart flutter? Was it worth forgetting the warmth of the fire elemental sleeping in your arms, or the pleasant silences the two of you had shared?  
Was it really worth forgetting about the man you had started to care so much about?

No, those memories were invaluable to you. Even if this had burned a bridge in your friendship, even if it had all become too awkward to hang around each other anymore, even if you would never see him again – you would never want to forget the way he had made you feel. The way he had revived the butterflies you had thought dead for so long. 

You wiped the stray tear from the corner of your eye and inhaled deeply. Your cheeks had returned to a more normal-looking blush and it was time to face your boss. You could feel the irritation begin to bubble and boil inside of you – that deformed trashcan was going to pay for this. 

With the bunch of unholy garments in your hands you stormed to the back and right into the glittery office. 

“What. The. _Hell_.” You threw the clothes on his desk, but all he did was watch you with an amused look in his eyes – only stoking up your vexation.

“Sorry dear, I didn’t quite catch that.” 

“What were you thinking?! How could this be a fucking _work_ outfit?” 

“Language.” 

“Fuck language. How could you ever propose such a thing? Now Grillby has – and Sans, and even BP has seen me wearing this... this... abomination!” You weren’t one for throwing things but if there had been a chair within your reach you were sure you would have launched it at the smirking robot in front of you.

He was squinting at you now, hands folded as if he was thinking. “Why mention Grillby first?” 

This took you aback. “Sorry?” 

“You said that Grillby, Sans, and BP had seen you wearing it. Why mention Grillby first?” He stood up from behind his desk, a secretive smile playing on his lips. He walked over to you, scanning your face while circling you like a predator, and the irritation sank to make place for nervousness. 

“It doesn’t matter who I mention first, what matters is that I want different work attire – no, I _demand_ it. This isn’t up for negotiation.” 

“”____, I run five talk shows a week. Mentioning Grillby first _matters_. Could it be?” 

“Didn’t you hear me? If you don’t provide me with something else to wear I’ll quit.” Your stomach twisted – it had taken you so long to find a job that was compatible with your timetable and paid enough for you to afford your apartment. Losing it meant you would have to find a new job within a month, with at least the same pay check, or you would lose the roof over your head as well – and you knew everything would go downhill from there. Hopefully he couldn’t smell your distress. 

“You’re in love with him, aren’t you?” 

“N-no he’s just a –“ 

“Wonderful! Absolutely fabulous! Can we host the two of you during our next double date show? And maybe our romance talk show? A human and a monster – I can make you famous. You will get fifteen percent, how does that sound? You’ll be rich, famous, in love~” 

“Please, Mettaton.” your voice was quieter now, your gaze aimed at something beyond what could be seen. This was going too far, but your frustration had now been fully replaced with fear. You felt like the man of metal was waltzing right over you, not caring about anything but his own shows and the attention it would give him, and you could only imagine the consequences like you could remember certain nightmares - vaguely in image yet strong in emotion. 

He seemed to notice your change in attitude and his shoulders fell a bit, the starry look in his eyes now dimming to concern. “Darling what’s wrong?” 

You met his eyes. You were determined to save whatever there was left of your friendship with Grillby. “He and I are just friends, and I would like to keep it that way. I don’t want your money, or fame for that matter, I just... I just want to be able to spend time with him without it being awkward.” 

“You know you can do that when you’re in a relationship as well, right?” 

“I... I don’t - I guess, but-“ 

He gave you a sympathetic smile. “You’re afraid of losing him.” He shook his head softly, a small chuckle escaping him. “I have seen this again and again, both with monsters and with humans, and every time it breaks my heart.” He let out a soft sigh and leaned against his desk. “I know I can be a bit... overwhelming at times, but I do not wish to trouble you. Please, take a seat, and tell me everything.” 

You felt more at ease around him, but you weren’t sure yet if he would keep this quiet. Maybe it was the way he spoke or the honest vibes he gave off, but you wanted to tell him everything – you figured it was a great advantage as a talk show host. 

“But what about work? And BP?” 

“Don’t worry he can handle it just fine, and it’s not that busy. Besides, relationships have higher priority than work.” He winked, and you felt a soft smile creeping on your lips. Maybe your boss wasn’t that bad after all. 

 

Grillby leaned against the wall, his legs not answering his commands. His stomach was swirling and twisting in ways that felt too good for him to be okay with it - he was definitely not okay with it. He gave up and let himself glide down to the ground, his mind hazy and his breathing a tad heavier.

“shit man, you’ve got it good. i told ya we should have left - your faces were absolutely priceless tho. anyway, i think i’ve done enough damage today. see you later grillbz.” 

And he was gone.

He tried to push the image out of his mind but it kept forcing itself back in, flooding his thoughts with mental pictures of you in that outfit, the memory of you in your underwear, and tantalizing imaginations of you without anyth- _fuck_. He wanted to rip his heart out from the way if fluttered and contracted, and he was desperately trying to ignore what was going on below the waistline. He kept his hands as far from his body as possible to prevent anything that might ruin his opinion of himself forever, but the only effect it had was that if left him unsatisfied and _frustrated_. But he was going to sit through this until he felt strong enough to stand again.  
It took longer than he had thought it would. 

 

Mettaton now knew most of it – though you had left out a couple of things that weren’t needed for the story – and to your slight surprise he seemed to understand your situation. He showed you a kindness you had not expected under that shiny outer layer of his, and the things he said calmed your worries. At one point the tables even turned a bit, and you got a peek at his own deeper buried emotions; he certainly wasn’t as shallow as he had seemed, and below all that metal he had a heart of gold. 

After a while the conversation ended gracefully, a quiet understanding now shared between you and the robot. 

“I promise to keep this to myself, but please do the same for me. The crowd doesn’t want a flawed host, they want someone to look up to.” 

“You know, I think I look up to you especially now that I’ve found out about your soft side. I don’t think you need to hide something like that, monsters will accept you for who you are - It’s one of the main things I’ve found out since I’ve been spending more time around here. I bet they’ll love you just the way you are.” 

The smile he gave you was so grateful and sincere that it warmed your heart.

“Thank you. Let’s hope Grillby thinks the same about you, hm? Now, let’s get back to work! We can’t let a whole day go to waste because of some silly feelings now, can we?” 

And just like that he slipped back into his optimistic bravado, though the look in his eyes stayed soft. 

“And my work attire?” 

“Just wear something that matches the colours in there and it’s fine.” 

And with a last smile you left Mettaton in his office and joined your co-worker on the battlefield. 

 

He was at a loss as what to do. He had finally found the will to push himself up to a standing position, but that was as far as he could go at the moment. He still had half an hour left before it was 4 o’clock, but not one activity seemed appropriate – he could predict the tone of his dreams if he took a quick nap (hell, he already feared what the night would bring him) and reading just wouldn’t work, not with his attention span all scrambled up. Why couldn’t he just turn off his brain for just a moment? Just one day without you constantly on his mind, was that too much to ask for? 

He let himself fall down on the couch and stared at the ceiling. His body knew what it wanted but his heart and mind refused, a heavy knot eventually settling in his stomach as his rational thinking won the battle. And the knot stayed.  
It stayed when he opened up his bar, it stayed after hours of serving his patrons, and it stayed as he kept staring at the door, desperately hoping you’d come through. Maybe it was better that you didn’t – he wouldn’t have trusted himself in your presence. If he had so little control over his body when you weren’t even there, he could only imagine what might happen if you were - especially if the two of you were the last ones before he closed up. 

His mind could vividly image you, sitting at his bar as the last one to leave, the moonlight caressing your features after he turned off the lights. He walked up to you, asked you if you wanted anything before you left, and you leaned forward, whispering into his ear.

_”You.”_

He seized your lips and you pressed yourself against him, letting out a soft moan of pleasure that made his stomach twist almost painfully but felt _oh so good_ , and your hands -

He was out of control. Blue had found its way onto his face and he rushed to the kitchen to ‘cool down’, however ironic it may be. 

You were driving him insane. He didn’t know how long he could keep this going. He didn’t know how long it would take for him to break. One touch, one smile at the right moment could splinter him into a million fragments and he knew his words would betray himself. He would confess. 

And you would look at him, shocked, disgusted, and you would turn and leave and never come back. 

 

You sauntered home, both mind and body tired. The sun had sunk below the horizon, colouring the sky with an artist’s pallet, but the light was fading quickly and shadows were taking over the town meter by silent meter.  
Even though your eyes were nearly falling shut you noticed the figure in the alley on the opposite side of the street, their silhouette only barely visible in the darkness surrounding them. Suddenly you felt unsafe. Watched. Followed. 

You quickened your pace, and only moments before you entered the familiar building in which your home was situated, your phone vibrated with the arrival of a text message. 

Unknown Number – 22:32  
There’s no need to be afraid

x

You made your way up the stairs in record time, rushing towards the security of your apartment, and before you entered your phone vibrated again.

Unknown Number – 22:35  
Don’t worry, I won’t harm you. I love you. 

x

The text sent chills down your spine and you firmly locked the door behind you, cursing yourself for not having more than one lock. You kicked off your shoes and let your coat drop to the floor, not caring to hang it on the wall. No shower tonight, not even brushing your teeth – you dove under the covers and pressed your back as much against the wall as possible, your eyes aimed at the bedroom door.  
Someone was out there. Someone was out there, with you on their mind, and their intentions unknown. 

You did not feel safe.

You wanted to call Grillby, to hear his voice, to let his words soothe your racing heart and take away your burning fear. You wanted him to lie next to you, to take you into his arms. In his presence you felt safe, you felt protected, you felt warm, accepted, welcomed. But he wasn’t here. 

Your fingers were tightly wrapped around your phone but you knew you couldn’t call him, he was working until 2 am – and you shouldn’t make him worry about something that could be based on paranoia. 

But you weren’t paranoid, were you? Those texts were real. The person out there was real. Your fear was real. 

Questions flashed through your mind but you were losing the battle against sleep. Your eyelids felt impossibly heavy and you could feel your will to move ebbing away. There was no sound, no light, nothing that could keep you awake, and once the adrenaline had fully left your system you got pulled down into the dark waters of the unconsciousness. 

 

You dreamt of an unfamiliar smell, and two arms around you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Comments brighten my life, Kudos make my day! <3
> 
> Who is mentioned in the title? Is it Mettaton? Or is it Grillby? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
> I was actually pretty happy to write more of Mettaton, I just know he's a sweetheart under all that glitter and glamour. Don't let his act fool you!
> 
> This chapter feels a bit rushed, actually, and a bit stuttering too. Let me know if you think the same? I might edit it a bit.  
>  
> 
>  
> 
> _But who is this stranger?_


	11. The Theatre Club Meeting, Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You leave home and meet a certain tall skeleton.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Praised be spare time! Maybe I'll be able to write even three or four more chapters before I leave :D
> 
> Please enjoy! (◠◡◠)

_”You need to study a woman’s anatomy before you’ll be able to draw it."_

Your hands moved over his shoulders and back as you circled him, slowly yet confidently. Your touch made his skin tingle, a rush of warmth flowing through his veins and pooling in his abdomen. Coming closer and closer, until your chest was pressed against his, you whispered in his ear once more. 

_”Don’t you think so, Grillby?”_

And with a gentle but strong push he fell backwards into the couch, his breathing heavy and his face flustered. His eyes were fixed on you and he was hypnotised, following your every movement as your hands slid down your sides and to the hem of your shirt, only to move upwards again – agonizingly slowly. Inch for slow inch your skin started to show and the butterflies tore at his insides. He wanted to reach out, to touch you, but he was frozen in his position on the couch. 

As if you could read his thoughts you laughed playfully, setting a step forward until you stood between his spread legs. He closed his eyes as you bent over towards him, your hands moving up his chest. 

_”Take a good look.”_

Your lips moved over his cheek and he opened his eyes slowly, his vision blurred as his body was delirious with want, and you moved backwards a bit, your hands travelling to your back. _click_. The straps of your laced black bra slowly slid down your smooth shoulders and his vision flickered, reality suddenly pressing down on him, and just before he could see - 

He awoke, eyes wide, breathing loud and heavy, and something... pressing for attention... in his pyjama pants. He rolled his eyes back as he tried to get his heart back under control. He was a mess, a hot, flustered mess, and all because of you. 

He had predicted that this night would be... something else. They said your unconscious took over control in the nightly hours, to show you things you might not have realised – but oh he realised this well. He wanted you. He wanted every beautiful _inch_ of you, both when he was awake and asleep. He needed things to change. He needed to tame his lust.

 

You awoke with a strange sensation, but it faded quickly enough for you to ignore it. The memory of yesterday evening came flooding back and so did the fear. You didn’t leave your bed for another two hours after waking up, and only when both your bladder and your stomach started protesting did you get out from underneath the covers. 

You tried to make your footfalls as silent as possible and you kept your breathing shallow, afraid that you could be heard. Your hands were clenched into fists, your muscles waiting and ready to spring into action if you needed them to. 

From the other side of the room you checked under the bed. The bedroom was empty.

You checked from around the corner. The kitchen was empty. 

After cautiously checking all larger closets and cupboards and underneath all surfaces one could possibly hide under, you concluded that the house was empty. You couldn’t say you felt relieved, however – you still felt watched. Cornered. 

Today, three o’clock, was the first Theatre Club meeting, and you couldn’t wait to get your mind off of things - but you didn’t dare go outside. There was no way you could cancel, any day but today, and you had been looking forward to meeting Papyrus and Alphys ever since Sans and Grillby had told you a bit about them, so your mind kept feverishly searching for ways to get to BP’s house with the least possible risk.  
Why did someone have to ruin your otherwise perfectly lovely day? 

A mix of unpleasant emotions burned your insides with every twist, and the urge to throw up only grew – who in their right minds would ever feel good about doing this to someone? And why, out of all people, _you_?  
But it was no use speculating on it - you were not going to search for answers. You refused to go outside until around 14:40, and you were not going to message back. What if it would only encourage them? 

So you just sat on the couch and stared at the television screen, and even though it was one of your favourite shows you didn’t pay attention. You kept looking at the door from the corner of your eyes, your ears pricked up for anything that sounded out of place, your fingers fidgeting nervously. You were half expecting sudden loud knocking, or maybe even someone bursting through the door, and you couldn’t calm your heart. The strain on the beating muscle built up until your chest started hurting and you wanted to rip it out, before it tore itself to pieces. 

Minute by agonizing minute crept by and all the pain in your neck and shoulders was back like it had never been gone in the first place. Your thoughts wandered back to Grillby, to his warm hands, and you could feel your phone in your pocket. Sundays were his days off. You could call him.

And then? Say that you were terrified because someone had texted you not to be? Ask him for another massage because the fear of someone breaking into your house had caused the tension to come back? It all seemed so selfish. The man had enough problems of his own, yours were not worth his time. Maybe, if your fear subdued, you could ask whoever was doing this _why_ they were doing it, and if they could please stop. Yeah – yeah that might work. If they didn’t chloroform and kidnap you the moment you stepped outside for fucks sake. 

You weren’t thinking straight. Even though you longed to hear his voice, you couldn’t call him, not even for small talk – your voice would betray you instantly. But text him, however, that you could.  
With shaky fingers you got your phone out of your pocket, opened your contact list, and tapped on his name. 

XXX XXXX – 13:59  
Hi Grillby! Here’s a photo of my timetable. Let me know when you’d like to schedule the drawing lessons. 

\+ 1 attachment.

Grillby – 14:03  
Monday morning or Wednesday evening are both options for me, but I don’t mind rescheduling some things if those dates don’t work for you. 

XXX XXXX – 14:04  
Either is fine! Even both would be okay with me. 

Grillby – 14:04  
Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to take away so much of your spare time. 

XXX XXXX – 14:05  
I’m sure. Spending time with a friend is still considered ‘spare time’, anyway. I look forward to it :)

A smile spread on his face as he read your message. Apparently the awkward incident of yesterday noon (which he had desperately tried to ban from his mind) hadn’t been enough to scare you away, and he suddenly felt some kind of relief - no matter how awkward things would get between the two of you, you would stick around. 

Maybe... Maybe that was exactly what he needed. He needed you to stay, even after making everything horrendously awkward. Even after telling what he felt for you.  
And now that he was almost ninety percent sure you would, he felt like he could do it. Tonight, after the Theatre Club meeting you had to attend, he would invite you to his closed bar, pour you a strong drink, and tell you everything.  
He felt his soul quiver nervously at the thought, but you would found out sooner or later – and he’d rather have you find out sooner because he was the one who told you than have you find out through some whispered rumour. No, this was his responsibility. 

He could only wish you felt at least a tiny bit the same. He was quite sure that you would grant him a date, even if you didn’t feel attracted to him – it was just who you were. Caring, kind; he wondered how no man had seen that in you before – and if they had, they were fools for letting you go.  
A pinch of jealousy struck him. How many men had you loved? Would he be able to live up to your expectations? 

Hell, he didn’t even know if you were taken or not. He had never heard you say anything about a partner or boyfriend or anything like that, which he took as a positive sign, but there was still a chance you weren’t single. He let out a soft sigh. Well, he would find out tonight anyway. 

Grillby – 14:07  
Me too. :)

A tiny smile had found its way onto your lips after you noticed the smiley he had included in his text, and a part of your confidence had returned. Everything would be alright. 

Maybe it was best if you left early, as sitting around and waiting would only give anxiety a chance to return, so you got up and got ready. After putting on your shoes and coat you stood in front of the door, your legs suddenly frozen. Inhaling a deep breath you reassured yourself. You could do this. 

And you stepped outside. 

 

As you walked down the streets you kept looking around, scanning every shadow thoroughly and changing to the other side of the road if there was an alley coming up. Better be safe than sorry.  
The streets in the human district were pretty crowded, making you feel safer. You were anonymous, another stranger in the river-like currents of people, and anything that might happen would be noticed. 

Not that you had much faith left in humanity. There had been more riots the last week, conservative parties kindling the fear in the minds of misinformed men and women and famous leaders of anti-monster factions stirring up the hate.  
Many monsters had travelled further than this town, to search for their happy ending somewhere else, and you had heard tales of burglary, assaults, and even murders. The news was merciless, showing imagery of creatures beaten and bloody while the presenters kept their faces neutral. No one showed their disagreement. No one stood up for them. 

Occasionally you caught flashes of a young child and a goat monster who seemed determined to change everybody’s minds, but up until now they hadn’t been very successful. 

And then there was the other side of the coin – the perverted side, if you’d like. People who only saw the monsters as a new adventure in the bedroom, playing the poor souls just to take advantage of them. They disgusted you. 

As you got closer to the monster part of town the streets began to run dry, less and less faces that dared to show themselves in the territory of the other race. There was no sign of anyone following you however. No silhouettes, no distant footsteps. And strange enough, you felt safer in this area; you were pretty sure that only four out of ten people would help you, but nine, maybe ten out of ten monsters. Instead of angry human kind should feel grateful, blessed even! They had done nothing to deserve these kind-hearted creatures. 

As you walked past Muffet’s bakery you felt a slight disappointment at it being a Sunday. If you had thought ahead you would have brought some spider donuts to the meeting, but alas, your mind had been lost in oblivion. 

And at last, BP’s house came into view. Another glance around you told you that you were still alone, and just for once you actually felt glad that you were.  
You gave his door a couple of knocks and waited. 

“Hey, ____! Thanks for coming, but aren’t you a little bit... early?” He glanced at the watch on his wrist. “Almost half an hour early, even.” 

“Yeah I thought I could help... set things up?” 

“Oh sure, thanks. I just need to move some furniture around and it’s suddenly heavier than I remembered. Come in.” 

You followed him to the living room, this time paying more attention to his decoration. There wasn’t much noteworthy except for a nice little cabinet in the hallway and some simple yet stylish furniture in the living room – might be IKEA. The colour pallet consisted mostly of white and soft browns, sometimes a darker shade of brown, and all together it gave the rooms a relaxed atmosphere, but you could see he didn’t earn much. Poor guy, especially now his old boss was back. 

“Hey, about Mettaton- “ 

“Say no more, buddy. I saw what he wanted to make you wear, that metal piece of shit. He objectifies for a living.” 

“Well, actually I-“ 

“And did you hear what he said? _‘Until then Burgerpants will have to do, but I understand if you’d like to wait’_.” He had raised his voice to a mocking octave higher, wobbling his head with an annoyed expression on his face. 

“I really don’t understand his dislike of you, though. To me he was actually pretty kind – besides the outfit incident, obviously.” 

“Sometimes you just don’t click with someone else, you know? And sometimes you just want to punch them in their glorified faces.” 

You helped him with pushing the couch against the wall. “But you’re not gonna look for a new job?” 

“I’ve been asking around but no one seems to need any new employees. I haven’t tried Grillby’s yet though, but he seems like he can handle things on his own just fine. Speaking about Grillby, anything happen after I left Friday evening?” 

You huffed, followed by a small groan as you remembered the night – or rather, the morning after. “I have absolutely no idea. I got the drunkest I have ever been and will ever be, and I woke up in his bed.” You quickly moved to the next piece of furniture. 

“Wait – so did the two of you...?” 

“No, he said nothing happened and I trust him. He did... he did sleep next to me though.” 

The cat stared at you and you let out a soft sigh, hiding your embarrassment behind one of your hands. “Apparently,” you started, internally cringing, “I asked him to stay and sleep next to me. I don’t know if there was anything else I might have said or asked or whatever, but I’m mustering up the confidence to ask him tomorrow during the drawing session.” 

The look he gave you was both adorable and hilarious. “Okay so let me get this straight. You got super drunk after I left, Grillby let you sleep in his bed, you asked him to sleep next to you, and the next morning you woke up without any memory of whatever had happened?” 

“Yup. The last thing I remember is asking for a glass of his finest wine – fuck I haven’t paid him back yet. Who knows what I might have downed that night.” You messed up your hair pretty badly with your hand, but you didn’t care at the moment. 

“So it’s totally possible the two of you kissed, right?” 

You looked at him, blinked, blinked again, before you found your voice back. “Well, no, I don’t think- I mean it could be, but I think he wouldn’t have asked me to be his art model if I had kissed him the night before. He’d probably avoid me for the rest of the week, right?” 

“Art model? Sounds erotic. Totally possible the two of you kissed.” 

“N-no it’s nothing like that! It’s with clothes on and it’s just – I think he would have told me if we kissed. And if we did, fuck I wished I remembered it.” 

BP’s laugh filled the room for at least five minutes. After calming down he wiped away a tear, a large grin stuck to his face. You rolled your eyes at him but were unable to keep the corners of your mouth from going up. You started shoving the coffee table away from the centre of the room but kept talking all the same. 

“But what if I did something incredibly stupid, like dropping a bottle of some kind of expensive alcoholic beverage, or smashing one of his favourite glasses or something. What if I said something dumb like ‘eyy ur a guy made of fire and ur handling flammable liquids, lolzor’? I mean that has been on my mind for quite a while so there’s a good chance I actually said it out loud.” 

“Well, like you said,” you heard he was trying to hold back another spurt of laughter, “he still asked you to be his model, right? So at least he’s not avoiding you?” 

“That’s true, I just wish I wasn’t so freaking awkward all the time.” 

He gave you a pat on the shoulder. “It’s okay buddy. If he likes you back he’ll accept your awkwardness as well. And I think you might want to fix your hair before the guests arrive, by the way.” 

“Oh yeah, thanks.” 

After a quick look in the mirror, some finger-combing, and some small talk while making coffee and tea, the first knock sounded through the house. You could feel the excitement boosting your energy level as you and your friend hurried towards the door, anything unpleasant instantly forgotten.  
BP opened the door to reveal a tall skeleton wearing a red scarf. 

“HELLO BURGERPANTS AND HUMAN, I’M HERE FOR THE THEATRE CLUB MEETING! I BROUGHT SOME OF THE BEST HOME-MADE SPAGHETTI IN EXISTENCE!” He stepped through the door and shook your hand vigorously. “ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF. I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS, MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD, NICE TO MEET YOU!” 

You gave him your name in return and couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped you. You had never thought that Sans and his brother could be so different, both in looks and in personality. After asking him what he would like to drink (to which he answered that he would live on spaghetti for the rest of the afternoon) the three of you sat down in the living room, to wait for the other member to arrive. 

“SANS HAS TALKED QUITE A LOT ABOUT YOU HUMAN! HE SAID YOU MIGHT OFFICIALLY JOIN THE MONSTER COMMUNITY SOON, THOUGH I AM NOT FULLY SURE WHAT HE MEANT BY THAT.” 

“Hmm, I don’t know either,” you lied, ignoring BP’s glance, “but I’ll ask him the next time I see him.” 

“SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD PLAN. WOULD YOU LIKE SOME SPAGHETTI?” 

The thought of spaghetti at three in the afternoon made your stomach twist a little, but there was no way you could refuse. “Sure, sounds great!” 

But the stuff you got on your plate seemed less than edible. The amount of glitter worried you, and were those... sliced crayons? It sure was colourful, but probably deadly too – and you had no choice but to eat it. Oh well, at least you would die amongst friends. After a last moment of hesitation you stuffed a forkful into your mouth. 

At first it was difficult not to gag, then it became almost impossible not to choke, but in the end you swallowed and forced a broad smile on your face. “It’s absolutely delicious! But to be honest I’ve just had lunch, so I don’t think I’ll be able to eat much of it, and I don’t want such wonderful cooking to go to waste. Why don’t you eat it? I’ll take some when I’ve got some space in my stomach again.” 

“WOWIE, YOU ARE REALLY KIND! I AM HONORED, HUMAN! I KNEW MY COOKING WAS GOOD, BUT YOUR PRAISE IS ALWAYS WELCOME!” 

To your relief he took the plate from your hands and wolfed the stuff down within moments. You were safe for now. 

And just as you had your urge to throw up back under control, another knock sounded, and the three of you rushed to the door to meet Alphys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Comments keep me creative, kudos keep me imagining!
> 
> I wanted to keep writing but the chapter would probably be twice as long, so I broke it down in two parts :3  
> If you see any typos or weird looking sentences and stuff, don't be afraid to tell me!


	12. The Theatre Club Meeting, Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not only do you meet a certain reptilian monster, but a certain fish lady too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare.

“Uhm i-is this the, eh, Theatre Club meeting?” The yellow dinosaur fidgeted nervously with her fingers, her eyes flickering between the ground and your faces, but before you could answer a sudden blue flash flew past the three of you. 

“HELLO NERDS, LETS GET READY TO PARTY!” 

You, slightly confused, closed the door behind you as BP and Alpys made their way to the living room, and followed suit. 

“WELCOME UNDYNE, I DIDN’T EXPECT YOU TO BE HERE AS WELL!”

“Yo Papyrus!” She fistbumped the tall skeleton, a large grin on her face. “Of course, acting sounds like fun!” She turned around as you entered the room, putting her arm around the shy and blushing Alphys. “I’m Undyne, by the way, and this is Alphys, my fiancée.” She stuck out her unoccupied hand but honestly you were a tiny bit afraid to take it, she looked pretty damn strong. You took it anyway, and gave her your own name, trying not to whimper in pain as she nearly crushed your hand. 

“Nice to meet you, punk!” She let go of her spouse and turned back to Papyrus to talk about spaghetti, giving you the time to properly introduce yourself to Alphys. 

“I eh, I brought some of my f-favourite plays, if that’s okay?” 

“Sure! What’ve you got?” You took the booklets from her as she briefly explained the stories. 

“And this one is my all-time favourite, i-it’s based on Mew Mew Kissy Cutie, t-the best anime ever made. D-do you watch anime?”

Your smile grew. “Of course, I’ve seen quite a few.” 

The two of you discussed some of the series both of you had seen and you noticed you instantly felt relaxed around her; your personalities were quite compatible as you were both high-level awkward. 

She told you about how she had rehearsed her date and how Undyne overheard it, eventually causing them to get together, and you couldn’t help but chuckle. The pairing sure was slightly unexpected – one glance at Undyne told you she was determined, strong, confident, and loud, almost the exact opposite of Alphys, yet during the day you noticed that they definitely fit together. 

It was difficult to decide on a play that everybody liked. Papyrus didn’t really like the murderous ones (leaving almost no options whatsoever) while Undyne adored the violent and bloody plays. Alphys didn’t really care as long as she got a minor role, and you and BP just silently watched as the skeleton and the fish lady ended up in another discussion. When the squabble seemed to go nowhere you decided to step in and cleared your throat.

“Maybe we can start with a fairy tale?” Those were fit for both adults and children, and although there sometimes was violence, it wasn’t anything too gruesome. “Maybe the Princess and the Pea, or Little Red Riding Hood?” 

And for once, everyone agreed . After a quick vote it was decided that ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ would be their first play and the roles were discussed and set: 

BP as the Wolf, glad that he got one of the biggest parts in the play,  
Alphys as the Grandmother, happy with her smaller role,  
Undyne as the Hunter, all too delighted with her violent character,  
Papyrus as the Narrator, his voice loud enough to be heard through each and any room,  
and you, as the Little Red Riding Hood. 

You were pretty okay with your part but you could only hope you didn’t have stage fright - it was a pretty big and important role in the play and you didn’t want to mess up the performance. Yet the thought of acting in front of a group of monsters wasn’t too anxiety-inducing – acting in front of a group of humans was much worse. 

The conversation often strayed from the actual topic and ended up at completely different subjects, such as science. You found out that Alphys had been the Royal Scientist in the Underground and that she had found a new job as a nurse and scientist at the monster hospital at the edge of town. It was good to hear that she actually liked this job more than her old one.  
Undyne had been the leader of the Royal Guard. The company of wardens and sentries didn’t really exist anymore nowadays, but they had kept the name and changed the goal – they helped fight crime and diffuse arguments in the monster part of town. You admired both Undyne’s and Papyrus’ bravery, it was obvious that their hearts were just as filled with kindness as those of the others, and you felt relieved that almost everyone had been able to find their place. 

You glanced at BP. He was the only one you knew who didn’t like his job, but the expression on his face now, amongst new friends, told you that he would be alright. From the way his ears were perked up and the way he spoke you could tell that he was having a wonderful time, and before you knew it a motherly smile had found its way on your lips – maybe this would be his place. In this room, with these people, doing what he loved doing most. 

The scenery in front of you really filled you with a feeling of bliss.  
The sun had breached through the clouds for just a moment and a warm light flooded through the large windows, casting a beautiful ‘filter’ over the monsters in front of you. They were talking, laughing, gesturing wildly and pulling overly exaggerated faces as they jokingly acted out pieces of the play. In the end, this meet-up was more of a group of friends messing about and drinking tea (and, sadly, eating spaghetti) than an actual rehearsal for a play, but you couldn’t care less. This was exactly how you wanted it to be. 

But to everything comes an end, and as the sun started to sink down further through the sky, the five of you watched a last anime and drank a last cup of tea. Papyrus left first, he needed to cook his evening spaghetti for his brother. Next were Alphys and Undyne, who promised to be there next Sunday. 

You hung around BP’s house a little longer, putting the furniture back while talking about nothing in particular. The two of you sat down on the couch and watched the sky turn from yellows and pinks to greens and blues, and after a comfortable silence he told you about how grateful he was to be seeing it. He had only lived in the underground for nineteen years but the hope of reaching the surface and becoming a famous actor had never left his heart. And at that first sunrise, the first one in his whole life, he had cried tears of joy.  
As he kept talking you could feel the liquid tingling in the corners of your eyes. After all these years under the mountain they still hadn’t lost hope, and when their day of freedom finally arrived, they got treated with hatred and disrespect by those who had put them underground in the first place.

“But for me it was only nineteen years, thank the Gods. So many monsters have been living there for longer either of us can imagine, some even from the beginning.” 

“The beginning? Like the day they were actually imprisoned?”

“Yeah. Some even before that, like Grillby. Hasn’t he told you?” 

You were chocked. If Grillby was there from the very start, then... 

“...I’ve fallen for a guy over thousands years old...” 

BP let out a laugh. “Basically. But monsters age differently than humans. And there’s actually a legend that humans will age at the same pace as their partner if they bond Souls with a monster.” He gave you an eyebrow wiggle but you just frowned at him.

“Bond souls? Like, get married or something?” 

“He hasn’t told you about Souls either? That guy really needs to step up his game.” He let out a sigh. “Okay, what I’m gonna tell you will probably sound pretty weird to you, but just bear with me, okay buddy?” 

You nodded, and he took a deep breath. “Every being has a Soul. Monsters have it, humans have it, animals have it, but they are all different. A monster Soul is pretty weak and it won’t last long after death – which is why monsters turn to dust when killed – but a human Soul is the strongest in existence, and it persists after your body dies.” He waited for you to nod again, to show you understood, before he continued. “Human Souls can take on a specific colour, and every colour stands for the dominant trait, like red for determination. It doesn’t need to be one colour though – most of the time, if you look close enough, there will be different colours mixed through the main one. No red is only red, it’s often combined with orange or yellow, and maybe even some purple.” 

You were silently taking all the information in. There was an actual soul in your body, a physical one if you understood correctly. Why had you never felt it? What colour was your own soul? You decided to ask that last question. 

“So what colour is mine?” 

BP flushed slightly, eyes averted. “You’ll have to ask Grillby. I can’t pull out your Soul without the intention to fight you or... eh... ‘start a relationship’ with you, if that’s what you want to call it.” 

You were a tiny bit disappointed, of course. Now that someone had told you that you had a soul, and that it had a colour, you wanted to see it with your own eyes. To see or to touch the essence of your being, that what made you _you_... you wondered what it would be like. But BP didn’t seem quite finished yet, so you offered him your undivided attention again. 

“You can use your Soul to fight a monster. During a fight, both your opponent’s Soul and your own will leave your body so it is vulnerable, and while it is out you’ll be able to strike it. But Souls are also an important part of... well, ehm... – relationships. And eventually those relationships might lead to marriage and Soul bonding.” 

“Okay...” you started to understand all of it a little bit better, but it was still quite a lot. First monsters, then magic, and now tangible souls. You thought nothing would surprise you anymore, but oh boy were you wrong. “So what’s the bonding thingy then, if it isn’t marriage?” 

He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Well... It’s kind of, like, merging two Souls together to bond two monsters. Both will have the colour of the other one’s Soul in their own, and they’ll be... sorta.. linked or something. I don’t know, I’m only twenty for fucks sake. Go talk to your fiery crush, he probably knows more about this shit than I do.” 

“Thanks, anyway, for trying to explain. I really appreciate it.” You gave him a warm smile and finished your drink before stood up. “I had a lot of fun today and I can’t wait till the next ‘rehearsal’. I guess I’ll see you at work?” 

He stood up as well and followed you through the hall. 

“Yup. See ya Tuesday, Buddy!”

And with a last wave he closed the door. 

You inhaled the evening air, it was still warm from the rays of sun that had shone through the clouds – only now the sky was once again covered and grey. Luckily it didn’t look like it was going to rain. The way back home was uneventful, and a part of you wondered if it all had just been a mistake. Maybe they had gotten the wrong number, and maybe the silhouette had just been your weary mind’s hallucinations. 

You climbed the stairs to your apartment, lazily fidgeting with your keys to find the right one, and after opening the door and hanging up your coat you turned to walk into the living room. 

Until you saw him sitting on your couch. 

 

You stood frozen, the fear back and pressing your heart further into your chest as its pace sped up. You recognised his face, even though his outfit was different: he wasn’t wearing a plumber’s suit now. 

The smile on his face and the dreamy look in his eyes sent shivers down your spine. “Welcome home honey, I made us dinner. I hope you like chicken casserole?” He stood up and gestured towards the tiny table in the kitchen, now fully set and decorated with flowers and candles. 

Adrenaline rushed through your body and you knew that this man was out of his mind, obsessed, _dangerous_. 

The second he set a step in your direction you turned, slammed open the door with a loud bang, and ran down the stairs with three steps at a time. It was almost as if you were falling, stumbling down the heights as you smashed into the walls because of your immense speed more than once, but you continued. You raced out of the building and your feet took you towards the monster district, to what you had learned meant ‘safety’ now. 

You could hear him shouting for you to come back and you knew he was following you, but you didn’t dare to look back. You could hear the sound of his feet hitting the pavement behind you but you had been able to put some distance between the two of you, your legs profiting from the strong flow of adrenaline that you could feel pulsating through your veins. Your sides started hurting and you cursed yourself for not going to the gym enough, for not being fit enough, and soon you began to lose speed. 

You could hear your heart beating in your ears as you rushed around a corner, hoping to lose the freak that was hunting you like you were prey. Suddenly you felt the presence of your phone in your pocket and it was as if the Gods had personally sent you a gift. While running you got it out and you opened your contact list, almost smashing your finger onto the name of the man you needed like never before. 

The phone rang. 

You realised where you were and your feet had suddenly found direction, your speed picking up once more as you headed towards the closed bar in the distance. One quick look over your shoulder told you that you had probably lost him for a while, but you knew it wouldn’t take long. He could probably track your phone or whatever stalkershit was used these days.

You begged Grillby to pick up, and at last he did. 

“____?” 

You threw yourself into the alley next to his bar and pressed yourself against the back entrance. “Grillby open up open up please open the back door Grillby please open up-“ You tried to keep your voice as quiet as possible but the fear caused your speech to be louder than just a whisper, your voice breaking and wavering. “Please Grillby there’s someone open up I’m at the back door please –“ You kept your eyes fixed on the end of the alley as you begged him over the phone, expecting your stalker to turn around the corner any second. 

The door swung open and you almost threw yourself inside, pushing the door shut while Grillby’s hand was still on the door handle. Your whole body was shaking and your knees gave in, letting you fall to the ground ungraciously.  
Grillby followed you down and sat down on his knees in front of you. 

“____, what’s wrong?” 

He gently put his hands on your shoulders and felt how much you were shaking, the look in your eyes one of terror. The speed with which you spoke only confirmed how frightened you were. 

“T-there was someone i-in my house and he followed me and he’s out there and I-I don’t know what to do and he was stalking me and-“ 

He stood up, opened the door, closed it behind him and walked out of the alley. After a thorough scan of the environment he concluded that whoever had been following you was now either gone or well-hidden. He felt anger flare up from within him and his flames grew bigger and hotter, his hands clenching into fists. If he ever caught your stalker he knew he would kill him without a second thought. But for now he had escaped his wrath and you needed him, so he quickly strode back to the back entrance and opened it again, only to lock it tightly after closing it behind him. 

You had moved to the wall, your back firmly pressed against it, your eyes fixated on the windows. 

He slowly made his way to you and knelt before you, but he was unsure of what to do. 

“He’s gone. Is there... is there anything I can do for you?” 

Tears were forming in your eyes and started quietly running down your face, and his heart contracted painfully at the sight of you – he cursed his own helplessness. 

He reached out and ran his thumb across your cheeks, evaporating the colourless liquid instantly and earning your attention. You lifted your head, slowly, until your eyes met. Your lips formed a shaky line as you tried to hold back a sob, your face frowned in such deep emotion that it broke his heart, and he leaned forward gently, carefully wrapping his arms around you. 

It was enough. 

You wrapped your arms around him and cried, loud sobs causing your shoulders to shake violently, but he held you tight. And so, without letting go, he sat down against the wall, softly pulling you further into his embrace. 

You leaned against him and let every emotion flow away with each and every tear, letting his warmth and the gentle caress of his hand through your hair shush you until your heart returned to its normal pace. Your face stung like hell and the muscles in your neck, back and shoulders felt like cables of steel, but his consoling presence was enough to soothe you. You were too nauseous, too disgusted and abhorrently terrified to feel awkward as you lay in his arms. 

Why you? Why now? _Why?_

Grillby quietly observed how your breathing got easier, and how the heartbeat he felt through his shirt slowed down as well. Your grasp was looser, your arms now only weakly laying around his waist, and the sobbing had stopped. After another couple of minutes of silently staying as you were, you moved away, and he moved with you as he helped you stand up straight. He noticed your legs were still wobbly, and just like the night you had been too drunk to stand he swept you off of your feet, carrying you upstairs bridal style – and you didn’t argue. The look in your eyes was empty, focussed on something beyond this world, and it worried him greatly.  
With all the care in the world he set you down on the soft couch, after which he walked over to his bedroom and returned with a comfy and silky blanket, which he gingerly wrapped around you. Next was tea but he made it quickly, heating it up with his own hands, so that he didn’t have to leave you for long. He took care not to spill the dangerous liquid as he placed it on the coffee table in front of you, and sat down at your side again. 

You were still staring off into the distance. 

He didn’t mind, sitting there with you, not even when seconds became minutes and when those minutes added up to thirty. He would be there for you. 

You shifted slightly in your seat, and softly cleared your throat. By the way you spoke he could hear that you were not only explaining things but that you were also thinking out loud, realising things as you went on. 

“I got a text – two texts... and it was an unknown number. I felt... I thought someone was following me.” Your voice was soft, barely above a whisper, and thick with the tears you had cried, but you continued. “You know that feeling you get? That feeling of being watched?” Your hands formed fists but your strength was gone, you were unable to keep them clenched. “I was right.” 

You took a deep, shaky breath. “But then i-it stopped, and I thought –“ your voice broke again, “I thought it was just me, just me being paranoid. Turned out I wasn’t.” You let out a soft huff of laughter but it was hollow, devoid of any joy. “I stepped into my apartment... and there he was. Just... just sitting there. Smiling. He said -” you swallowed audibly, “he said: _‘Welcome home honey, I made us dinner. I hope you like chicken... chicken something’._ and I recognised him. H-he had been in my house before.” 

He could see the scenery play out in his head, disgust and anger fighting for dominance in his heart – but he kept quiet. And you continued. 

“I didn’t think much of it first- the missing keys. Had been using my spare ones. I misplace many things, lose them only to find them a couple of days later. Same about some other stuff, like pieces of underwear and a toothbrush. But now... now it actually makes sense. And –“ Your eyes got wider and you pulled the blanket closer around your body, your voice quivering as you continued. “And I think I wasn’t alone last night. I-I think he was there and his smell and his arms around-“ You had begun to speak faster, fear settling in your body once again. He had been there. It hadn’t been a dream. You suddenly gagged and the need to throw up kicked against your stomach. 

One warm hand was instantly on your back and another kept your hair out of your face, but nothing came. Only the acid taste of bile and the burning sensation in your throat. After the feeling had subdued you moved back, your weight pressing into the backrest of the sofa, and his hands moved away again. 

“I can’t go back there. He could –“ You stopped mid-sentence but it was enough. 

“You can stay here.” 

And for the first time in thirty minutes you turned your head to look at him, your eyes now focussed and your gaze warmer. “A-are you sure? I don’t want to cause you any discomf-“ 

“I’m sure.” He cast you a smile that smelted away some of your anxiety, the empty space now being filled with relief as you gave him a soft, slightly weak smile back. You closed your eyes for a second and focussed on your breathing. Everything would be alright. Everything would be alright.

Everything would be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments mend my heart, kudos mend my soul <3
> 
> I'd love to know where you are from, by the way! I'm guessing mostly America?


	13. Good Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You find solace once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit, 300 kudos, 3000 views, and over 300 comments? Holy shit. I love you all so much you don't even know ♥  
> I'm not crying my eyes are sweating
> 
> I've had so many wonderful comments and compliments and it makes me so happy ;-;
> 
> I don't know when I'll be able to write the next chapter, though, it could be one or two weeks :s  
> But please enjoy this one!

You drank the tea that Grillby had made for you even though it had cooled down considerably and tasted horrible. He watched you with slight concern as you did, but you refused to let his kindness and hospitality go to waste. 

Now that going outside wasn’t safe anymore you needed you call off work and school; saying that you didn’t feel well would be the best excuse. You’d have to call the police as well, to tell them your situation, but you could only hope they could be of any use - how could they catch a stalker of who you had seen his face only twice and knew nothing about whatsoever? 

You let out a soft sigh and set the empty mug back down on the table, shifting your gaze to the man of fire next to you. He returned your glance, calm and patient, and you could feel leftover tears slowly rise. He was there for you; offering you a place to sleep when you had nowhere else to go, a shoulder to cry on when your emotions got the better of you, and a consoling warmth when your heart felt frozen by fear.  
Grillby noticed them as well, his flames dancing a bit more erratically as he didn’t know what had caused you to cry again, but you smiled. This only seemed to confuse him even more. 

“I’m sorry, I’m just so glad that I have you.” You brushed away the line of salty liquid on your cheek, but your smile stayed. “I’m just so glad... you know? You’re a great person. Don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise, okay?” 

A soft blue spread through his flames and you realised you had been making things awkward again - but before you could apologise he copied your smile, his fire glowing a bit brighter. 

“I’ll always be there for you if you need me.” 

After a short moment of silence a soft sob escaped you, and you pulled him into a tight hug again. After the surprise settled he took off his glasses and wrapped his arms tightly around you too, his face buried in your neck and yours in his, and you stayed for that like a moment. 

“Thank you.” 

 

After letting go you sat back again and rubbed your sore eyes with your fists. God you must look ridiculous with your eyeliner all smudged out and your face all red and puffy. 

“I’m going to call work ‘n stuff.” 

He nodded. “I’ll make dinner.” 

And so Grillby put on his spectacles again, stood up, and disappeared into the kitchen while you got your phone out of your pocket and punched in your password.  


Nine unread messages. Without looking at the number you could tell from who they were and you were not ready to read them, so you quickly opened your contact list and called school. They didn't really care, so you moved on to the next one: work. 

“Hello Darling! Why the sudden call?” 

“Hi Mettaton. I don’t feel very well so I don’t think I’ll be coming to work this week, if that’s okay?” 

“Sure - but do please get better soon, I wouldn’t want the customers to be stuck with Burgerpants for such a long time. Take care!” 

And he hung up. Well, at least you didn’t have to explain yourself like your old boss would have wanted, but you still felt bad for your colleague. Better give him a heads up as well. You tapped on the screen and put the phone to your ear. 

“This is BP.” 

“Hi BP, it’s me. I just wanted to say that I won’t be coming to work this week, maybe longer.” 

“What’s up?” 

“I dunno, just don’t feel very good.” It hurt you to lie to him but you didn’t want to make him worry, especially not when his mental stability was in such a fragile state to begin with. “I’m sorry you’ll have to face Mettaton alone.” 

“It’s probably a side effect of Papyrus’ spaghetti - drink enough water and you’ll be okay. And don’t worry about me, I’ve been able to survive many years of robotic torture, another week or so won’t make much of a difference. I hope you’ll be better before Sunday, though.” 

“Thanks, I hope so too. I’ll see you later, then.” 

“Yup, see you later, buddy.” 

You stared at the screen for a while, gathering the courage to dial the next number. What if they didn’t take you seriously? What if they weren’t able to help you? But how would you be able to live a normal life if there was a guy constantly following you, breaking into your house and stealing stuff?  
No, you needed to call them. They had probably done things like this before so they would know what to do. 

“Ebott Police Department.”

“H-hi, ehm my name is ____ ______ and a man has been stalking me for a couple of days. He broke into my apartment a-and he’s been following me around.” 

“What is the address?” 

“Backlane Building 35.” 

“Has he threatened you or tried to hurt you?” 

“Not yet.” 

“Do you live alone?”

“Yes.” 

“Hm. We’ll send someone to look into it. I advise you to stay at a friend’s house or with your family for now. We might need to speak to you again for suspect identification and things like that, so if you’d please give a number on which we can reach you.” 

You gave him the number of your mobile phone and waited for the person on the other side of the telephone to write it down. 

“Okay. Thank you for calling, we’ll see what we can do for you. Good night miss.” 

And like that the conversation was over, but you didn’t feel much safer. Actually, you didn’t feel safe at all. Your stalker probably knew you were here, and if the nine messages were anything to go by you didn’t think he would get over you very soon. Every trip to the grocery store would be risking your life and every open window was an invitation for something horrible to happen. 

You felt like a cat in a corner, a bird in a cage – vulnerable and unable to leave.

How long before Grillby would become fed up with you? You tried to repress the thought. He had told you he would be there for you, he was your friend, he knew you had no other options, so it was all right... right?  
Maybe you could stay with BP if Grillby got enough of you. 

 

With a soft thud you were pulled back to reality. A plate of beautifully arranged, tasty looking, and deliciously smelling food stood before you, and only now did you notice how hungry and tired you were. You moved over a bit so that Grillby had enough space on the other side of the couch before you picked up your plate and started on your meal. Of course the food was overwhelmingly good but you had only expected it to be – he truly was a brilliant cook. It didn’t take you long to finish everything with not a piece or crumb left forgotten.

After taking both your tableware back to the kitchen, putting it into the dishwasher, and reclaiming your spot on the sofa with a book he had offered you, you suddenly realised you had nothing. Absolutely nothing. No toothbrush or toothpaste, no new clothes, no deodorant, no pyjamas. Nothing but the clothes on your body and the phone in your pocket. Oh, and some cash. A sober list of possessions, sure, but you were more worried about the inconveniences it would cause; such as sleeping in your underwear in the house of your best friend/crush. Again.

You glanced over the top of your book but was soon greeted with a curious look from Grillby and you could feel your face getting slightly warmer, but you needed to push through – you were not giving him a heart attack by taking off your clothes again, the poor guy didn’t need more traumas than you had already given him. 

“I just realised... that, eh... I don’t really... have anything? I mean a toothbrush, toothpaste... pyjamas...” You hid your cheeks behind the pages, and the blue in his flames mirrored your blush. 

“I’ll call Sans, he knows... shortcuts. He will be able to pick up some things for you, if you’d like?” 

“That would be great, thank you!” 

Your eyes followed his hand as he reached into his pocket to pull out his phone. But after two minutes of silently waiting, staring at Grillby and the device against his ear (well, where his ear should be), he let out a soft sigh and put it back. 

“He’s not picking up.” He averted his gaze and rubbed his neck awkwardly, the extra colours still visible on his face. “You can borrow a shirt, if you want. I’ll call him first thing tomorrow, but I think he’s on a job.” Translation: he was probably sound asleep. 

“Oh okay.” 

And then there was the problem of who would take the couch. You knew he would refuse taking the bed, but you were not going to steal his comfort too. 

“Uhm, I’ll take the couch tonight, if that’s okay with you.” 

Honestly it wasn’t even okay with _you_ , being alone in a room at night – the idea alone sent shivers down your spine. But you would never dare to ask him to sleep next to you again, even though the fear inside your heart begged you to. 

“I’d prefer you take the bed.” 

“No it’s fine. Really. Who knows how long I’ll be here and I don’t want to-“ 

“You are my guest. Please take the bed.” 

“Grillby-“ 

He let out a sigh. “We can switch. I’ll take the sofa tonight, and the bed tomorrow.” 

You knew that wasn’t his plan at all – he would let you sleep in his bed tomorrow, the day after, and the day after that, and there would be no arguing about it. God you hated how polite and kind he was. Why weren’t you allowed to be the caring one for once? But you gave him a nod anyway, knowing it was a dead end. 

You read a couple more chapters but eventually began to notice you had been stuck on the same page for a while now, needing to re-read the sentence over and over before you understood what it said. Your eyelids were getting heavy and you felt how your brain had switched to a lower gear, thinking being too much trouble to even think about. You closed the book with a soft thud and placed in on the table. Grillby took the sign and did the same before standing up and leading you to the bedroom, where he opened his closet for you to pick a shirt. 

He gave a short nod when you looked at him for confirmation, you were allowed to pick anything at all. You figured a plain shirt could never be his favourite one (as you didn’t want to ruin it with your sweat) and took a simple black t-shirt from the clothes hanger only to reveal the orange letters on the front, spelling: ‘Too Hot, Hot Damn’. You cast him a playful glance and he shrugged, an embarrassed grin on his face. 

“Sans gave it to me for my birthday.” 

A soft chuckle escaped you and you held it in front of your body for a moment. It would do. Once again you met his eyes. “If it’s okay with you?”

“Of course.” 

“Then I’ll be off to bed.” 

“I’ll be in the living room if you need me. Good night, ____.” 

“Good night, Grillby.” 

A last exchange of smiles and he closed the door behind him, carrying a pillow and a blanket underneath his arm. 

You got out of your old clothes, folded them neatly, and laid them in a pile on the ground next to the nightstand before pulling Grillby’s shirt over your head. It reached halfway down your thighs – a bit higher than you had expected, but it covered everything and you figured he wouldn’t see you in it anyway, as long as you changed back into your clothes before leaving the room. But that hope went quick as your bladder suddenly reminded you that you needed to go to the bathroom. Great. 

You tiptoed to the door and tried to open it as silently as possible, peaking through the opening. But it hadn’t been silently enough as Grillby turned his head and looked at you, a wordless question in his expression. 

“I eh... I just need to go to the bathroom.”

He pointed in the direction you needed to go. “Second door on your left hand.” 

“Thank you.” 

You waited for him to look away before you stepped through and hurried towards your set goal, but you didn’t see him looking at you from the corner of his eyes. He couldn’t stop his face from heating up but there was something about you wearing his shirt and it sent butterflies fluttering in his stomach. He hated himself for looking but he couldn’t help it, the way you moved, the sight of your skin, the thought of you wearing nothing but your underwear under _his_ shirt, it sent pleasurable shivers down his spine. 

He needed to keep it together, especially now you were here living with him for a while. He begged the Gods to keep the sinful thoughts and dreams at bay. But maybe this was a good thing – maybe you living with him was like birthdays, or pizza: the more you had the less you wanted. He doubted it of course, he knew he could never grow tired of your company, but it was the only thing that offered any kind of support at the moment. 

But your touch could send him to the floor, your voice could hypnotise him. 

_I’m just so glad that I have you_

Your words and your embrace had caused his heart to soar to heights where there was no oxygen for him to breathe. He had wanted to keep holding you just for a little longer, just so he could remember every detail. How your lips had grazed his neck, how your enticing smell had filled his lungs, how your hands on his back had felt gentle yet so strong. He admired you. He admired every single piece of you and he wanted to tell you so badly, but this was not the time.

If he ever saw that stalker he was going to give him hell. He had terrified you, made you cry, driven you out of your home and taken away your freedom. He had prevented Grillby from confessing to you, maybe even go on a date with you, and he had doomed the man of fire to live in lustful agony for longer than he had hoped. 

But his hate was not only aimed at the creep who had hurt you – it was aimed at himself as well. He hated how he thought there was a good side to all of this. He hated how he loved that you had moved in with him even though it was only for a short while, and he hated how he wanted you to stay even longer. He hated how he couldn’t control himself or his dreams, and he hated how he couldn’t help but think you looked so damn _sexy_ in his shirt. He hated how he wanted you. 

His eye got caught by movement in his peripheral vision and he turned his head – too late to realise it was you, who had been wanting to move undetected. You froze where you stood, slight horror and an awkward blush on your face, and he quickly returned to reading his book, allowing you to ‘sneak’ past and disappear behind the bedroom door. 

 

After a while the book in his hands lost its power and he softly put it down, trying not to make too much noise. He predicted you had been asleep for at least an hour now and a smile spread on his face. He hoped your dreams were peaceful.  
His body made it clear that it was time for him to try and sleep as well, and so he lay down and got under the blanket. He didn’t need it, being a fire elemental and all, but there was something consoling about it, and soon he drifted away into a world of nothingness. 

 

A loud scream sent him jolting upright, almost falling off of the sofa as he threw the blanket away and dashed to the bedroom, throwing open the door to reveal you sitting upright - your eyes wide open and filled with a look of absolute terror. He rushed over to you and sat down on the bed, his hands on your shoulders. 

“It was just a dream.” He shook softly, trying to break the trance-like state you seemed to be stuck in, and to his relief it helped. Your shoulders slumped as you relaxed but you were still trembling slightly, your breathing erratic. 

He slowly put his arms around you and pulled you close once again. If he had had the energy he would have gone out right then and there and searched for that son of a bitch until he found him, and he would burn him to a crisp. 

You leaned against him and he held you tight, shushing softly and whispering soothing words. After a couple of minutes you stopped shaking and your breathing returned to normal, but in his embrace he could feel how your muscles felt tight and strained again. He made a mental note to offer you another massage later.  
You leaned backward a bit and he let go, studying your face carefully, but you surprised him by speaking – no, whispering, your voice almost inaudibly soft. 

“Please stay. I hate to ask but-“ He could hear the desperation in your voice and it broke his heart. “Please... please stay?” 

He nodded. He pulled the covers up so he could slide under before pulling it up over your shoulders. You were laying there, facing him with a look in your eyes that could damage Souls, and he scooted closer to you, locking gazes to ask for permission.

You nodded.

He gently wrapped his arms around you like the night you had been drunk – but this was different. Every fibre of his being screamed to protect you, to ward off your nightmares and to slay any demon that dared to lay his eyes on you. He wanted you to be happy. He wanted to make you happy.

Your breathing slowed down and your eyes slowly shut as you slipped away, but he didn’t let go. Instead, though it was more of an impulse, he soflty pressed his lips against your forehead for a moment. 

“Good night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments bring me solace, Kudos bring me peace <3
> 
> Fuck I need a Grillby in my life ;-;
> 
> Btw have you guys heard of Outertale? I only discovered it two days ago but I immediately fell in love with it, the designs are just so lovely and the fanart is absolutely gorgeous! And I mean, who doesn't like stars and nebulas?  
> And gahh Grillby's design is pure perfection ♡ space husbando
> 
> If anyone knows a good Outertale fic, please let me know! I know next to nothing about the canons and stuff so I'd love to find out more about it :3
> 
> I like Underfell as well tho  
> Do you have a specific AU that is your Number One Fav?


	14. Good Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A pleasant morning shared with more than pleasant company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'I'll upload another chapter in a week or two' she said, 'it will take longer' she said. Conclusion: Expect the unexpected? Don't trust me? Idek  
> So yeah, only three days later and another 3,400-word-chapter. Not much happening in this one though, but don't worry. 
> 
> It's pretty funny that while I'm writing all this shit I'm starting to see patterns and discovering more of my personal kinks   
> (●・◡・ ●)  
> I actually got kinkshamed for being into a fictional man made of fire but honestly I don't care ~ ♥
> 
> But yeah, I hope you like this chapter :3
> 
> (Edit: the html code got pretty fucked up while editing, so if the whole chapter appears in italics please let me know)

_”Help! Grillby, Please!”_

He ran into the direction your voice seemed to come from, your desperate cries for help urging his legs into a pace he had never thought possible. The streets flashed by as he ran and ran, turning corners and crossing alleys, eventually reaching the edge of town. 

There he saw you, getting dragged into the forest by a man without a face. 

He dashed into the woods and felt how his flames grew bigger with his anger, his hands instantly igniting the branches he pushed aside while zigzagging through the trees at immense speed. 

_”Grillby!”_

You sounded so far away that he lost hope for a moment, desperation clawing at his heart – but he couldn’t give up. He ignored the pain in his chest, the soreness of his feet, the way the adrenaline burned his veins, and he ran. The moonlit trees loomed over him to try and block his way, grasping him with dark, lean fingers and ripping at his Soul, but it didn’t stop him. 

And then, finally, a flash of skin in the distance, quickly vanishing in the shadows - but it was enough. 

He increased his speed yet even more. He was prepared to run through rain, walk through streams if that meant he would save you from the grasp of your kidnapper. He would burn down the whole forest if he needed to. 

He yelled your name and you called back, closer now. 

The trees parted to make way for an open space, a field of flowers underneath the stars, and there you were. The man had ran out of breath but was still holding you firmly as you squirmed to get away. Your eyes lighted up with hope when you saw Grillby.  
Your captor turned around too, a wicked smile on his otherwise featureless face, and he threw you down onto the ground to take on a fighting stance. Grillby wanted to rush over to you, to make sure you were okay, but when he noticed the red lines and fingerprints around your neck and wrists his anger got the better of him.  
His flames doubled in size, his heat burning the vegetation around him, and he lunged at the human in front of him. 

The man was gone in a flash.

Grillby quickly knelt beside you, asking you if you were okay, and you flew into his arms. He held you tight, his heart calming as your smell filled his lungs. You were okay. He had saved you.  
You sat back a bit, wiping the tears from your face even though they were still falling, and you smiled. 

_” I’m just so glad I have you”_

He copied your smile, brushing away a strand of hair from your face. 

_”I will always be there for you”_

And you leaned forward, pressing your lips against his in a kiss sweeter than anything he had ever tasted. His heart soared and the butterflies awoke in his stomach, urging him to pull you against him and to deepen the kiss. 

 

His eyes slowly opened, needing to adjust a bit before he could see, but he smiled when your sleeping face appeared in front of him. Your hands were folded in front of your chest and there was a tiny smile pulling at your lips, your expression peaceful. He closed his eyes again for a second and held back a soft sigh of bliss. 

He scanned your face more closely now, as he took in every detail and tried to imprint it in his memory. 

He could feel the soft thrumming of life underneath your skin where his body touched yours; your breathing was almost soundless, and your mouth was slightly ajar. His gaze brushed over your beautiful lips and he noticed something tugging at his heart. Part of him wanted to wake you with a gentle kiss, to see your eyes flutter open as you returned from a dream he couldn’t enter. He wanted to see how your eyes focussed and how your expression showed your mind was processing what was going on.  
Would you frown, push him away and wipe your mouth? Or was there a chance that your gaze would slowly fill with surprise for a moment, your glance switching between both his eyes, before a smile would appear and you would press your lips against his again?  
His heart tingled at the thought. 

But he didn’t dare – not just because he was afraid the former would be more likely, but because he didn’t want to wake you. He felt joy at the thought he had kept your nightmares at bay, and maybe a bit of pride as well. He felt joy at the memories of you relaxing under his touch and in his embrace, and he felt joy at the sight of you being comfortable around him. He couldn’t possibly wish for more. 

His body told him that there were still some hours to go before sunrise and his mind was not done resting yet, but he knew his dreams would be calmer now that he had caught your demon - even if it was all in his head. And just before his eyes fell shut once more, he wondered what you were dreaming about. 

 

_Yes miss, we have found the man and we have put him behind bars. He will be relocated to a prison many cities over. ___

__A happy tear rolled down your cheek as a smile pulled at your lips._ _

__It was over. It was all over._ _

__You waved the officer off and turned around to look at Grillby, who had copied your smile, and he took you in his arms and hugged you so tight you could barely breathe. You let out a laugh as you wrapped your arms firmly around him, burying your face in his shirt. His chuckle resonated through his chest and you glanced upwards to see him leaning down and softly taking your lips. You closed your eyes as your insides turned to jelly._ _

__When you broke the contact to breathe again he spoke, his voice mellow and sincere._ _

__“Will you please stay with me?”_ _

__You let out a soft chuckle and stole another chaste kiss. “That’s my line.”_ _

__

__You could feel yourself getting pulled back to reality, the dream fading to a memory in the back of your mind. But the reality in which you existed seemed bleak._ _

__It was still far from over._ _

__You let out a soft sigh and opened your eyes. Apparently you had turned around in your sleep as you were now facing the rest of the room, your back pressed against Grillby, his arms tightly around your waist and his warm face buried in your neck – and you realised you were being spooned._ _

__Your face turned a bright red and your heartbeat sped up as warmth flowed through your bloodstream and pooled in your nether regions, butterflies fluttering wildly. God, this was some way to wake up._ _

__Were you going to wait until he awoke? Did you dare to wake him by pulling yourself from his encircling warmth? It didn’t work that well last time – and his grasp then had been weak compared to now. It wasn’t uncomfortable, no, it was reassuring and consoling. You felt safe, protected, loved – but you shouldn’t. Not that last one._ _

__You were growing tired of yourself. You knew this wasn’t the right time to confess your feelings; you wouldn’t only risk your friendship (which you had slightly started to give up on, it wouldn’t take him much longer to figure you out anyway) but also the safety and comfort of his apartment. You wouldn’t feel as safe in BP’s house, that you knew for sure. But damn did you grow closer to the limit, to the point where you would break. Just a few more instances like this and you would practically scream your heart’s wish at him.  
And considering your clumsiness you didn’t know what would be next. It could be the comedic tripping-and-falling-against-him that happened in so many sappy romances it made you cringe, or maybe the walk-in-on-him-in-his-underwear scene – although that had already happened but with the roles switched. Sure, you wouldn’t turn down a chance to see him shirtless again but – oh my god you needed to stop thinking, your temperature had already risen to unhealthy heights and you were digging your own grave right now. You didn’t need sexual tension at the moment, thank you very much. _ _

__To your relief you could feel your ‘guardian’ begin to stir._ _

__“Grillby?” You kept your voice at a whisper._ _

__After a bit more rustling and shifting you got your answer: an eloquent and poetic ‘Hmm?’ in his deep, sleepy voice, warm air breathing down your neck and sending shivers down your spine. God that felt good._ _

__Before you knew it an almost unnoticeably soft sigh of pleasure had escaped you and you silently smacked your hand over your mouth – and you were glad you had done so, because when he moved away his lips brushed over your skin where your neck met your shoulder and you could barely contain the soft moan. Luckily Grillby seemed not to have heard any of it and let go of your waist, his hand brushing over your hip as he pulled his arm back – you needed every drop of self-control not to shiver._ _

__You wiggled a bit forward before you pushed yourself up into a sitting position, and as you rubbed one eye you sneakily glanced at Grillby with the other. He was now sitting next to you, his arms up in the air as he stretched, and turned his head to look at you. His sleepy smile was cute and you found yourself smiling back._ _

__“It seems I keep thanking you.”_ _

__He granted you a raspy chuckle. “And it seems I need to keep telling you that is not necessary.”_ _

__You gave him a playful push against his shoulder and chuckled as well, before a yawn interrupted you and your arms found their way upwards to stretch. A sudden soft poke in your side elicited a high-pitched shriek from your throat and you fell back onto the bed, your fake-grumpy pout aimed at the broadly grinning man next to you._ _

__Then your expression turned a tad darker, a playful and plotting smirk stretching across your face. Grillby noticed but he was too late – you shot up like a snake and grabbed his shirt, pulling him back down onto the bed and immediately attacking his sides with your fingers. And to your fullest delight he was ticklish. He squirmed to get away and his laugh reverberated through the room, but you straddled his hips to keep him in place as you continued your torture. His flames shot up as you increased your tickling and he tried to get you back by reaching for your sides – but you showed no mercy. His laugh was so contagious that you soon felt the tears of joy welling up in the corners of your eyes.  
Grillby finally found the strength to stop you – he grabbed your waist, pushed you off of him and onto the sheets, and followed in the same swift movement so that he was now hovering over you, his knees beside your thighs and pinning your hands beside your head. You could hear the laughter in his panting. _ _

__Your smile was stuck as you looked up as him, your chest rising and falling at a slightly faster pace, until you realised how fucking _hot_ this was. Arousal rushed through your body and you gently pushed your thighs against each other, hoping he wouldn’t notice. You knew you shouldn’t make this awkward or the rest of the day would be a nightmare, so you kept smiling. _ _

__“Let’s call it a tie.”_ _

__He chuckled again and let go of you, flopping down next to you. He stretched again and rubbed his sides with a grin before stepping off of the bed and putting on his glasses._ _

__“I definitely won.”_ _

__You sat up and moved off of the bed but he quickly strode out of the bedroom – you followed him, a giddy feeling fluttering in your chest._ _

__“Definitely not, I got you crying with laughter under my hands!” He looked over his shoulder, eyebrow raised (or at least, it sort of looked like that but with fire?), and you rose your chin higher with a defying smile on your lips._ _

__He shook his head. “All right, a tie it is.”_ _

__You followed him into the kitchen and leaned against the counter as you watched him turn on the stove and get out a skillet._ _

__“Pancakes?”_ _

__“Sounds delicious.”_ _

__Watching him mix the batter you let your eyes glide over the side of his face. You could still see the hint of a smile, and his posture was so relaxed that the whole atmosphere felt calm and at ease.  
Was this what domestic bliss felt like?  
Was this the closest you would get to domestic life with Grillby?  
You wouldn’t mind staying a little bit longer. 

__You ate breakfast on the couch (and of course, it was perfect), after which Grillby offered to call Sans again, and you nodded, putting the last forkful of syrup-drenched pancake into your mouth. While he was on the phone you brought both your own and Grillby’s plate back to the kitchen and moved through the living room to go get your clothes from the bedroom, but before you were even halfway a skeleton appeared in front of you, holding his phone to the side of his skull._ _

__The white pinpricks in his socket moved over you and you felt a blush come up when you realised you were still wearing Grillby’s shirt._ _

__“i see the two of you finally fucked. nice.” He gave you a gigantic grin and a thumbs up, but your eyes only grew wider and your face turned even redder._ _

__“N-no we didn’t- i-it’s not what you think-“ You turned your head to grillby to look for support but was greeted by his lovely indigo face, which was not helping._ _

__“then why are you wearing his shirt?”__

“That’s why we called you.” Grillby now entered the conversation, ignoring the awkward atmosphere. “____ Is being stalked. She fled from her apartment.” 

__Sans’ grin dropped in an instant, but you spoke before he could. “He has the keys to my apartment and I didn’t dare to go back to pick up my stuff. But Grillby said you knew ‘shortcuts’.” You now understood the reference - Sans could teleport. The first day you had sat at Grillby’s bar Sans had appeared in the seat next to you without making a sound, and it made sense now._ _

__The skeleton nodded. “you want me to give you a ride there to pack your bags and to take you back here.”_ _

__“Well I wasn’t sure about going with you-“_ _

__“You’re safe with Sans.”_ _

__You turned to look at Grillby. You really didn’t want to go back, the chances that _ **he**_ was there were too great - of course he would expect you to come back and get your stuff, and it would be the perfect time to strike. A shiver went down your spine.  
But you remembered the things you would need, and some of those things (undies, bras) were not safe for Sans to see. And besides, you knew what you would need to last a couple of weeks on clothing, and you knew the skeleton wouldn’t have a clue. You needed to go with him, and if Grillby said it was okay, then it was all right. _ _

__You let out a soft sigh but nodded. “Okay. Just let me... ehm... get changed.”_ _

__You rushed into the bedroom, closed the door behind you, and changed. You folded Grillby’s shirt neatly but decided to put it in the washing machine as soon as you got back as you didn’t want your dirty laundry laying around his apartment. You made a mental list of stuff you needed to pack and tried to remember where you put all those things, so that you could grab it and leave._ _

__After taking a deep breath and repeating that one sentence over and over in your head you stepped through the door again._ _

__“you ready, kid?” You nodded, and he stepped closer to you. “okay. hold on tight and don’t. let. go.”_ _

__You put your hands on his shoulders and grabbed his jacket so tightly your knuckles drained of colour. Suddenly you felt like you were falling, your stomach twisting, and even though you couldn’t open your eyes you knew it was pitch-black around you. It was over in a second._ _

__You recognised your place immediately. The table in the kitchen was still made, but the candles were burned out and the food was gone. Everything seemed to be as you left it.  
Sans promised he would keep you safe and urged you to go pack while he kept watch. _ _

__Just to be sure you bent down to look underneath your bed, and once you had established that no, he was not under there, you got out your suitcase and started gathering things. Enough clothes, make-up and remover, shower stuff (you knew Grillby wouldn’t have any), toothbrush and toothpaste, pyjamas, hairbrush, and everything else that seemed useful and still fit. It didn’t take you more than ten minutes._ _

__Sans transported the two of you and your pretty heavy suitcase back to Grillby’s apartment without much effort but your legs were wobbly – both from the anxiety and the travelling. Grillby offered you an arm and you gratefully leaned on it to give your body some time to calm down. When you felt like both your mental and physical strength had been restored you turned to Sans._ _

__“Thank you.”_ _

__He nodded, but a second later his sockets went dark. “can you describe him to me?”_ _

__You knew who he meant, but before you could respond Grillby already spoke. “Sans.” It was both a reassurance and a warning. “The police will take care of it.”_ _

__It was reasonable to think that the guy would sue Sans if he did anything rash, and word would get out to the press – meaning the monsters would get more shit than they were already getting. Even though you appreciated Sans’ worry, you were with Grillby on this one. There was nothing any monster could do without risking far worse things._ _

__His ‘pupils’ returned, but he still seemed a bit tense - and it was pretty unsettling to see the fun-going, pun-loving skeleton this serious. His eyes met yours. “if there’s anything you need, just ask, okay kid? give me a call and i’ll come.” He switched his gaze from yours to Grillby, seemingly starting a silent conversation between the two of them. “grillbz will protect you.” Grillby nodded, and the tense atmosphere cleared a bit._ _

__And like snapping your fingers, Sans turned back into his grinning self, a playful twinkle in his eyes. “so if there’s anything you need – a ride, a pun, maybe some _condoms_ for you and grillbz, just call!” An eyebrow wiggle and he was gone. _ _

__You just stood there, frozen for a moment, before you awkwardly turned around and met Grillby’s glance. “S-so, uhm, where can I put my... eh... stuff?”_ _

__“Anywhere but the kitchen.”_ _

__“Sounds reasonable enough.” You walked into the bedroom and shoved the suitcase under ‘your side’ of the bed after getting out and putting on a new set of clothes._ _

__To your slight surprise you could feel your heart flutter gingerly. This was it, you were moving in with Grillby. A monster, a man made of fire, a bartender, a gentleman, a friend – and most of all, your crush. Part of you wondered how you were going to fuck this up, but most of you was just terribly excited._ _

__You entered the living room and noticed how the fire elemental was just standing there, waiting, fidgeting slightly. You gave him a quizzical look, your head cocked to the side a bit._ _

__“Are you... do you still wish to be my art model? I understand if the situation isn’t exactly perfect f-“_ _

__“Of course! Maybe it helps to get my mind off of things.” You sent him a kind smile, and he copied it._ _

__“Then I will get my drawing equipment, if you don’t mind.”_ _

__You let out a chuckle at his choice of words. “Go ahead, I’ll wait here.”_ _

__And he strode off, unable to hide his excitement, and you watched the scene fondly._ _

 

__He really was something, wasn’t he._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments keep me uploading like crazy, kudos keep my spirits lifted <3 
> 
> I like writing morning wake-up scenes (who would have guessed????)  
> I actually read that too much inner feelings and inner dialogue can kill a story, so I hope I'm not over-doing that stuff?
> 
> And there's just a couple more quiet chapters before the plot continues and stuff, so just hang on a little longer ♥


	15. Conversations Concerning You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The drawing lesson commences, but is soon interrupted by a question.

You grabbed two dining chairs and carried them to the living room to set them by the window, just like Grillby had asked. You positioned yours so that the window was to your side, and his so that he was facing you. If you had to be honest you were a little nervous - even though you had no reason to be. Sure, he would be looking at you constantly, and you didn’t know what he was going to put on paper (you didn’t expect more than a fuller stick figure) but after all the things that had happened you should at least be comfortable with this, right? 

You sat down in the morning light and wiggled a bit to shape your butt to the chair while he took his place, saying that you could sit however you liked; he wanted you to be as comfortable as possible. He had a brand new sketchbook on his lap and a couple of HB, 4B, and 2H pencils on the floor next of him, an eraser kept in the palm of his non-dominant hand. 

His eyes moved over you as he began to sketch, his strokes swift and determined. Red was the colour of determination, if you remembered the conversation with BP correctly. Would his Soul be primarily red? Grillby seemed like someone whose main trait could be determination, and if mixed with a bit of yellow and a bit of orange it would fit his flames nicely - you were actually really curious if this was the case. Would you ask him? Would he be able to show you your Soul? Excitement rose in your chest and your heart began to beat a little bit faster as you mustered up the courage to ask him. But if BP couldn’t, then why should Grillby be able to? 

Maybe it would only make things awkward. Burgerpants hadn’t been too comfortable talking about it from what you could remember. You wished you had paid more attention.

“I’m here to listen, if you want to talk about it.”

For a moment your heart stopped – had Grillby heard your thoughts? No, then he wouldn’t propose to listen instead of talk himself. It took you a couple of seconds to figure out what he meant. Your stalker. 

“Oh. Uhm. Thank you, but I’d rather stay in denial for a little longer.” You send him an apologetic smile. 

“All right. It seemed like you had something on your mind.” 

“Well...” You were going to ask. How could one live without knowing the colour of one’s very essence, anyway? You had to admit that had been easier when there had been no such thing as a Soul colour, though. You cleared your throat slightly. “BP told me about Souls and that they have colours? So I was wondering if you could show me? I’d really like to know colour what mine is.” 

He just sat there for a couple of seconds, his flames slowly dancing while casting beautiful shadows on the wall next to him. You noticed how a slight indigo had found its way onto his face – was it really that weird to ask? Even if it was, you needed to know. It was part of you, and you had every right to see it, right? 

“I see.” He was looking at you, his gaze quite intense. Maybe you shouldn’t have asked after all. “I think it’s best if we move to the couch; that will be more comfortable.” 

You nodded and followed him without saying another word. You should have been more patient, damn it. Now you had interrupted the drawing session he had obviously looked forward to, and you had asked something of him he maybe didn’t even want to do – he was just too kind to refuse. You sat down in your spot and looked at the man sitting in front of you. 

“What has BP told you?” 

“That monster Souls and human Souls are different and that they have a main colour that’s based on their personal trait, and that you use them to fight and to marry.” 

He nodded. “All right. This experience might be quite heavy, so please be sure that you are ready for it.” 

“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” Something in his posture made you think that he was hesitating. “But only if you’re okay with this too.” 

“I... would like to warn you that my Soul will appear as well, and as you know monster and human Souls are different...” 

Was he self-conscious about his Soul? 

“Hey it’s okay if you don’t want to, but just know that I won’t judge. I’m your friend, remember?” Somehow it stung to say that but you smiled as kind as ever, this was not the time for a pity party. 

His flames brightened a bit and he took a deep breath. “All right. This might hurt a bit.” He looked you in your eyes and you nodded. You were ready. 

It felt as if your chest was contracting, the pressure rising further and pressing harder and harder, followed by a piercing sting – and it was gone. Your heart skipped a couple of beats and you had forgotten how to breathe. Your pheripheral vision seemed to fade to black as everything but you and Grillby vanished from existence. In front of your chest floated a stylised heart with the colours of polished labradorite. It was obvious that your dominant colour was green, but indigo certainly got second place. A bit of cerulean, some yellow, a tad of red, and a hint of deep purple, and even a slight bit of orange.  
You felt tears rising as you stared at what made you _you_ , and it was indescribable. 

 

You were beautiful. He couldn’t keep his eyes off of your Soul – so lively, so vibrant, so full of energy. He had expected either green or blue to be your dominant colour and he had been right, but there was so much more. It seemed as if your being was too complex to be placed into one category, and so your Soul had taken on every possible colour there was – the extent to which it was present showing how much of your personality the trait occupied.  
He shifted his gaze to your eyes but they were focused on your own Soul, tears silently sliding down your cheeks and a smile pulling on your lips. You were beautiful.

 

All these colours, but what did it mean? You raised your glance to look at Grillby but your eyes stumbled over his Soul. It was nothing like you had expected it to be. In front of his chest hovered an inverted heart of the purest white, shining brightly but unlike any other light you had ever seen before. Even by looking at it you could feel its warmth, its purity.  
But when you looked closer you noticed something else – gossamer lines like shallow cracks, and your heart broke. Something in his past had caused these delicate disfigurements to run across his Soul. Did it hurt? – Had it been caused by the same thing that had given him the scars on his back?  
Nonetheless it was breathtakingly beautiful and you caught yourself staring. It was impossible not to. His Soul, even though colourless, inverted, and damaged, was still shining – and maybe even brighter than yours. You admired him. Every inch of you respected every inch of him.  
You were in love with him. 

You made eye contact and the expression on his face ripped your heart to pieces – so you smiled. You smiled brighter than you had ever smiled before, your vision slightly blurred through the tears, and for a moment you would have sworn your Soul brightened as well. 

“It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful. Don’t ever depreciate yourself.”

His flames and his Soul grew brighter, his smile mirroring yours, a deep blue creeping onto his cheeks and a sincerity underneath his words that almost reached the border of being emotional. 

“Thank you.” 

You returned your gaze to your own shining, pulsating existence in front of you. “So red was determination, right? There’s a bit of that. Some other colours too but mostly green and blue, though. What do those mean?”

“Green represents kindness, and the indigo blue represents integrity. Those are your main traits and monsters would most likely refer to your Soul as either green or indigo even though there are different colours as well. The lighter blue shows patience, yellow stands for justice, purple for perseverance, and orange for bravery.” 

“And white?” 

“Monster Souls don’t take on any colour. I do not know what it means, however. Many believe our Souls are made up of compassion, mercy, and love.” 

Compassion, mercy, and love? It seemed to fit all monsters you had encountered up until now. But there was so much more to Grillby than that – his personality was so much more. How could his Soul refrain from taking on any colour? Realising you reached the same conclusion over and over (namely that every answer only led to more questions) you decided to let it be.  
Instead you now moved your hand towards your Soul, curious to see if it was as tangible as it looked – but it wasn’t your arm you lifted. 

Your Soul hovered upwards a bit until you stopped every movement. You tried again, with your other arm, but the effect was the same. With large eyes and a small frown on your face you moved the stylised heart around a bit. Left, right, up, down, until you noticed there seemed to be a set distance your Soul could travel. From the exact middle of your chest, where it resided, you could move it 30 centimetres in any direction, but not much further. It felt as if extending an arm and straining your muscles to make it longer, only getting more painful the harder you tried but with the same minimal effect. Just like it was a fact you couldn’t make your arm longer by trying harder, you couldn’t move your Soul further than those 30 centimetres. 

You knew you could still move your body, though – you just needed a different technique. The first couple of tries didn’t really work but the fourth, while moving your Soul down but your arms up, you succeeded in touching it. Cupping it carefully into your hands you took in the strange sensation of touching another limb you had never known existed. And even though it definitely felt like a part of you, it felt slightly different than touching skin. It felt more personal in some way or another. 

“So how do you put it back?” 

Grillby needed to think about that for a moment. To him, getting out his Soul and putting it back was something that came natural. It was something he grew up with. To you, however, all of this was a completely new experience. The look on your face when you found out you could move it had been adorable, your curiosity causing your eyes to sparkle. He had wanted to throw his feelings at you, to let go of everything he was holding back – but he had decided not to. 

“Maybe try moving it back into your body?” 

Of course he would be able to put both Souls back by ending the confrontation, but you would need to learn how to do it yourself as well.  
He watched your slight struggle as you moved your Soul back against your body. It didn’t move further than your shirt so you lifted your hand and tried to push it through – which worked, to his surprise. And like that, his own Soul retreated as well. 

The world faded back into existence. 

“Kindness and integrity. I think I kinda like that.” 

He returned your smile. “It suits you.” 

 

The rest of the morning you spent sitting on the chair by the window, talking about whatever came to mind or just sitting in comfortable silence as Grillby tried to put you on paper. You found out both of you liked classical music a lot and for a while the two of you swooned over your favourite masterpieces. 

The result of the drawing session was not too bad, you noticed with slight surprise. It certainly was a human being sitting on a chair, and it got really close to being realistic. He confessed to having drawn before, though (obviously) never humans.  
“I might visit the library to study human anatomy a bit more.” 

“Good idea, drawing takes lots of practicing but lots of studying as well. I think I might have a book for drawing human anatomy lying around somewhere in my apartment, actually. I’ll ask Sans if he can take me there-“ 

Grillby put his hand on yours and brought it down, preventing you to use the phone you had taken out of your pocket. 

“That is not necessary. The library will be enough. If I really need more material I can always search the internet.” 

You knew he didn’t really want you to go back, even though he trusted Sans to protect you, and you appreciated his concern. Of course you weren’t thrilled to go back there either, but a trip there to get something that might help a friend was always worth it. He had a point, however. The internet was full of tutorials and guides, and one little booklet wouldn’t make that much of a difference anyway, so you nodded and put your phone back. 

Too soon did half past three arrive, meaning Grillby had to go down and prepare stuff at the bar so he could open up at four. He declined your offer to help him out and instead welcomed you to take a seat anywhere in his bar – an offer which you accepted. 

You made sure your outfit and make-up was on point before following him down the stairs and sitting down in what had now officially become your spot, right next to Sans’. The skeleton would probably arrive the exact moment Grillby opened up, and many other patrons would soon follow, but for now everything was empty and quiet. 

This place gave you a sense of security, especially if the others were around. There was no way your stalker could enter unseen, let alone do you any harm when you were surrounded by those who accepted and respected you. 

Your thoughts shifted to your phone, and the messages on it. Twenty-four of them now. It might be better to ignore them but you were a curious creature, so you tapped on the screen and watched the messages appear.

Unknown Number – _yesterday_ \- 19:03  
Honey don’t run, I made dinner

Unknown Number - _yesterday_ \- 19:04  
Please come back

Unknown Number – _yesterday_ \- 19:15  
I love you

Unknown Number – _yesterday_ \- 19:17  
Come outside

Unknown Number – _yesterday_ \- 20:10  
I’m still waiting

Unknown Number – _yesterday_ \- 20:15  
Dinner is cold now, but I still love you

Unknown Number – _yesterday_ \- 21:50  
I know where you are, please come back

Unknown Number – _yesterday_ \- 22:10  
We were made for each other

Unknown Number – _yesterday_ \- 22:10  
So please come back

Unknown Number - 10:07  
Good morning

Unknown Number - 10:08  
I missed you

Unknown Number - 10:08  
Please come outside?

It continued that way. I love you, come outside, I’m waiting, you’re the only one for me and I’m the only one for you. 

You felt sick.

You knew he was around, asking you to leave Grillby’s apartment every few texts. Didn’t he have a life? Didn’t he have a family that wondered where he was, or a job? Anyone who would notice his absence? 

“you ok, kiddo?” His glance was laced with genuine concern, so you gave the skeleton a smile before turning off your phone and pushing it back into your pocket.

“Yeah, I’m all right.” 

“paps wants to come visit you soon. would tomorrow be all right?” 

“You told him? I didn’t want to make him worry or anything-“ 

“it’s ok, he said he would patrol twice as much through the neighbourhood. he’s determined to catch the guy. Undyne and Alphys want to stop by some time as well. i think bp too.”

“Did you tell everyone?” 

“yup. even the dogs know. muffet said you could have a free donut next time you visit her bakery, so if you don’t want it i’ll go and claim it in your place.” 

You hadn’t told anyone but Grillby and Sans because you didn’t want anyone to worry about it, it would be all right in the end – but now that everyone knew you actually felt some kind of relief. Everyone would keep an eye out for trouble. Everyone would try to keep you feeling safe. 

And it worked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments keep me warm when I'm too cold, kudos keep me cold when I'm too warm <3
> 
> This was what I had in mind for your Soul, but with a bit more green, red and yellow and a bit less orange: http://onlinegemsjewelry.com/image/cache/data/product-456/DSCN1184-1500x1500.JPG
> 
> I edited this chapter a lot because of a major fuck-up, but that's okay. It happens.


	16. What A Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Strange how emotions can switch so swiftly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god guys I can't say it often enough but I love each and every one of you. I had never expected this fic to get over 400 likes, more than 4500 views and even over 450 comments, and everything is still going up? Like???? It makes me so happy. So happy. ;u;
> 
> And not only that, but you even helped me out when I was at a loss for ideas! A gigantic thanks to Skainsmate, Margoteve, and of course MissNightingaleBlue for swapping ideas with me, it has really helped me so _so_ much!
> 
> But it doesn't end there, nooooo. Holy shit, there's fan art. Actual fan art! Look at this:  
> http://amber100.deviantart.com/art/Grillby-x-Reader-anon-Fanart-for-fanfic-620455030
> 
> It's so freaking cool, it makes me laugh every time I look at it ≧◡≦. Thank you so much SquallyScribbler, I love it so much <3
> 
> And there's even more fan art coming by the lovely MissNightingaleBlue, I'm so freaking honoured you don't even know ;u;
> 
> My god you're making me cry and I love it. 
> 
> I really hope you enjoy this extra long chapter before I leave!  
> Song: 'Lose it' by Oh Wonder

The evening passed by unnoticed, the passing of time seemed absent. After Sans it didn’t take long for the other bargoers to arrive, all greeting you with a wave and a smile – and to your relief they just sat down and ordered, like they normally did, instead of putting you in the centre of attention. You were able to quietly converse with the skeleton next to you, ignoring his innuendos and fiery puns and occasionally nodding to Grillby to sate his worry – though you had to admit you kept looking at the windows, expecting a silhouette on the opposite side of the street. 

None appeared, though, and neither did you get any texts. Complete silence. You weren’t too sure if that was a good sign, however - who knew what that guy was up to. 

But for now you just enjoyed the pleasant company and let the night wash over you, the atmosphere warming you into a soft oblivion. You realised you would probably be eating fries and burgers all week if you didn’t cook yourself and if you had to be honest it wasn’t something you looked forward too – sure, Grillby’s cooking was absolutely delicious, but anyone who cared about themselves would opt for some less greasy food most days of the week.  
So before Sans left to tell his brother a bedtime story you asked him if he could pick up some ready-to-eat meal salad thingies, of course promising to pay him back, and waved him off with a smile before he disappeared. 

As it got near closing time the other monsters started to leave one by one – except for the dogs, who barged out as a group, leaving you and Grillby to clean up and shut the place down. You knew Grillby didn’t need your help, but sneaky as you were you had taken mental notes of where he put his cleaning stuff. As soon as Grillby went to the back to turn off the ovens you bent over the bar and grabbed the cloth and spray bottle that were lying there, determined to clean as many tables and chairs before he returned. Surely evenings like this must tire him, constantly moving around serving patrons? It must have been the cause of the tension knots you had felt when massaging his shoulders, and who knew how long it would take for those knots to return? Could be weeks, months, but it could be as soon as a couple of days as well – anyway there was no harm in helping him a bit. 

He seemed to be in the back for a bit longer so you took this opportunity to throw a couple of coins in the old jukebox before swinging your way from table to table, sliding the rag over the wood in patterns and speeds following the beat and tempo of the music. While softly humming along you forgot the world around you, completely focussed to exterminate every speck and stain that was unlucky enough to catch your eye. 

_Downtown we let it go_  
_Sunset high and our bodies low_

You hadn’t noticed Grillby had returned, your mind too far gone with the music.

_Blood rush in the hazy glow_  
_My hands, your bones_

You completely missed his silhouette at the door, leaning against the doorpost, arms crossed over his chest as he was watching you with a smile on his face. 

_Loose up we break the scene_  
_One step deep as you fall to me_

You were unaware of the way the look in his eyes changed to a nervous determination as he strode over to you, waiting for you to turn around. 

_Heart clap, we skip a beat_  
_Count one two three_

And you turned around. 

“Can I have this dance?” 

_And don't you stop the music_  
_Get into it_  
_Won't you dance with me?_

Your eyes darted down from his eyes to the hand he offered, an embarrassed red growing on your cheeks – and you took it. 

_Find a place and lose it_  
_You can do it_  
_Won't you dance with me?_

His hands were warm like always, the tiny flames moving over your skin as he tightened his grasp and gently pulled you closer. His other arm found its way around your waist, his hand resting on the small of your back - causing the butterflies to awaken and your heart to flutter. 

_Move your feet and feel it in the space between_  
_You gotta give yourself a moment, let your body be_  
_We gotta lose it_  
_We gotta lose it_

To the beat of the music he began to move, stepping right, back, back, left, avoiding the tables and chairs as he guided you through the room. 

_Lose it_  
_Lose it_  
_Lose it_  
_We gotta lose it_

He spun you around, and although he caught you off guard it went surprisingly smoothly – until he caught you back in his arms, your body against his. 

_Lose it_  
_Lose it_  
_Lose it_  
_We gotta lose it_

The butterflies went wild, making it difficult to keep a straight face. You needed to concentrate on the steps or you might- 

“Oh my god I’m so sorry-“ 

He chuckled, but continued dancing with you. “Don’t worry. Loosen up.”

_Your name I'll never know_  
_As we get down in the world below_  
_Caught up in an overflow_  
_My hands, your bones_

And by the gods you tried, but you were too focussed on all the wrong things. The way his hand felt on your back, or his fingers wrapped around yours. How you could feel his warmth, the tingling sensation of his body nearly touching yours. 

_Wide eyed, you look at me_  
_Set on fire in a silver dream_  
_Spin round you can feel the breeze_  
_Count one, two, three_

The sparkles in your beautiful eyes, the way your lips pulled up in a gentle smile. How he could feel your warmth, the tingling sensation of your body nearly touching his. 

_And don't you stop the music_  
_Get into it_  
_Won't you dance with me?_

_Find a place and lose it_  
_You can do it_  
_Won't you dance with me?_

You let out a soft chuckle and relaxed, your movements becoming more fluid with every second as you let him spin you around once more, this time prepared for the closeness of his chest to yours. 

_Move your feet and feel it in the space between_  
_You gotta give yourself a moment, let your body be_  
_We gotta lose it_  
_We gotta lose it_

_Lose it_  
_Lose it_  
_Lose it_  
_We gotta lose it_

You closed your eyes as you went up in the moment, the music washing over you and guiding your steps.

_Lose it_  
_Lose it_  
_Lose it_  
_We gotta lose it_

He felt his heart speed up as he noticed how you relaxed, leaned into his touch and followed his movements with ease. 

The music slowed down a bit, softening, and you looked up at him as your steps slowed down, your gazes locking.  
His breath hitched and he hoped you wouldn’t notice. 

_Make a spark, break the dark_  
_Find a light with me_  
_Who we are from the start_  
_Won't you dance with me?_

You usually weren’t much of a dancer but you never wanted this to end. You and the man who held you moved as one, the world around you just a blurred haze as all you could see was him. 

_Make a spark, break the dark_  
_Find a light with me_  
_Who we are chasing stars_  
_Won't you dance with me?_  
_Won't you dance with me?_

You didn’t step on his feet again, but he wouldn't have minded, not if it meant he could hold you tighter to prevent it from happening again. 

_And don't you stop the music_  
_Get into it_  
_Won't you dance with me?_

All went well -

_Find a place and lose it_  
_You can do it_  
_Won't you dance with me?_

-Untill you misstepped.

_Move your feet and feel it in the space between_  
_You gotta give yourself a moment, let your body be_  
_We gotta lose it_  
_We gotta lose it_

You held your breath as you felt the air shift around you, your hand releasing his as you fell forward, pulled down by gravity.

_Lose it_  
_Lose it_  
_Lose it_  
_We gotta lose it_

Grillby saw it happen and quickly reached forward to catch you, stepping back in preparation of the impact – but his heel struck a slightly elevated plank, and gravity got him too.

_Lose it_  
_Lose it_  
_Lose it_  
_We gotta lose it_

With one arm around you he threw the other one back in the hopes of softening his fall and-

His back hit the floor.

And you fell right on top of him.

_Lose it_  
_Lose it_  
_Lose it_  
_We gotta lose it_

It took a moment before you realised what had happened and you pushed yourself up, but the second you noticed your eyes grew wide.

You had knocked him down. 

_Lose it_  
_Lose it_  
_Lose it_  
_We gotta lose it_

“Oh my god are you all right? I’m _so_ sorry! Did you hit your head? Is your back all right?” 

_Move your feet and feel it in the space between_  
_You gotta give yourself a moment, let your body be_  
_We gotta lose it_  
_We gotta lose it_

He needed a moment to calm his heart down but you weren’t making it much easier, straddling his hips with your hands on his chest, and his stomach twisted a full 360 degrees. 

Apparently you either realised your position or noticed his fierce blushing as you hurried off of him and onto your feet, offering your hand to help him up, but he half-heartedly waved it off.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” 

But as soon as he had managed to get up you gently grabbed his arm and inspected it for bruises or scrapes. You had no idea what they would look like on a monster made of fire, but if he could get scarred then surely he must get other injuries? Wait, his scars!

“Are you sure? You fell right onto your scars, I need to check if they didn’t open up!” 

He froze.

 

His silence worried you – should you have kept quiet regarding his scars? Even if it was a sensitive topic you needed to check them, the wounds could get in infected if they were left unattended. Infections could lead to fever and all kinds of other nasty complications, and you didn’t want to be the cause of any of that. You didn’t want him to get hurt. 

“I’m sorry. You don’t need to say anything, just let me check, okay?” 

He kept silently watching you as you cautiously got closer, as if approaching a wounded animal, and started unbuttoning his bartender vest.  
As you slid it over his shoulders and down his arms you could see the focus returning to his gaze – and the blue to his cheeks.

“I didn’t know you knew of them.” 

You started unbuttoning his dress shirt, unable to keep yourself from blushing. The two of you were alone in a closed bar, after all. 

“When I massaged your shoulders, remember?” You slowly walked around him, letting him slide his arms out of his sleeves, and folded the shirt before laying it on the table closest to you. He had been lucky – only a couple of inches to the right and he would have hit his head pretty badly. Could he even get hurt that way? He didn’t need his leather jacket, though. This man really puzzled you. 

“Sometimes I forget I have them.” 

You softly ran your fingers over the scars on his back and ignored his shiver – this needed to be done. But to your relief none seemed to have opened up. 

“It seems you’re lucky, none of them have re-opened.” You let out a soft sigh. Good, nothing to worry about. You met his gaze and noticed the hesitance in it, urging you to send him an understanding smile. “Don’t worry, I won’t ask. You don’t need to talk about it.” You handed him his shirt again. “No pain anywhere else?” 

He shook his head while putting his shirt back on – but leaving it unbuttoned. Fuck, sometimes you wondered if he knew what it could do to you. You averted your eyes, desperately trying to keep your face from reddening. 

“Do you wish to know?” 

You were unable to keep your eyes averted, but forced yourself to look him in his eyes. This time it wasn’t too difficult – his offer surprised you. Of course you were curious, you had been ever since ‘massage morning’, and if he offered to tell then he must be okay with it, right?

“Only if it’s okay with you.” 

He nodded and gestured to the bar. You took your place on your seat as he moved behind the counter, grabbing two glasses and a strange looking jar of something that smelled quite strong. As he poured your drinks he began to speak. 

“As you might know, monsters used to live together with humans in peace until a war broke out. Paranoia settled and spread, turning even some of the kindest hearts to darker thoughts. Mages, lead by one in particular, joined forces with the humans. This leader was so full of hate that it had started eating him away from the inside; he was determined to get rid of ever monster in any way possible, no strategy too cruel. “ 

He let out a soft sigh, staring into the distance as his memories started to play in front of him. 

“Both sides started recruiting as fast as they could, knowing that it wouldn’t take long for all hell to break loose. In the armies there were three main military divisions, all of them led by one or two captains. There was the Cavalry, soldiers who rode on horseback to travel the terrain swiftly, led by Gerson. The Artillery, who, in our case, protected the villages while some of our men helped the inhabitants escape, led by Undyne’s mother and father.” He took a deep breath. “And there was the Infantry, the soldiers who fought on foot, led by me.” 

Your eyes grew wide. Bp had told you that Grillby had been there before the imprisonment, but you had never thought he had actually taken part in the war, let alone be a _commander_ in the whole ordeal. Maybe you had assumed he had been a child, or maybe you hadn’t assumed anything. Your mind, always so full of questions, was now silent – hit numb with surprise. 

“I led many men and women into battle, and I led many men and women to their deaths. My troops won terrain within days, sending the enemy running for backup, our division making the most progress of them all. I was young, proud, _foolish_. I thought the Gods were on our side as we drove the human forces further back, conquering towns and cities we had lost only weeks ago. I thought we were winning, and I became careless. ”

He rose the glass to his mouth and downed the liquid in seconds, releasing a hiss as the alcohol burned his throat. With a little less control than usual he set down the glass with a loud clang, his fingers wrapped tightly around it. 

“So many of our people died because of me. I led them right into a trap, watched them get slaughtered by mages as I killed one enemy after another. All I could see was red – though I don’t remember whether that was because of the rage or the blood. I got captured by two mages, Alavir and Elnear, water and ice, and taken to their quarters, where they questioned me. First gently but getting more impatient with the day, until they reverted to torturing techniques-“ 

His voice broke slightly and he swallowed hard to cover it up, but you heard it, and it broke your heart. 

“I-it’s okay if you don’t-“ 

He waved the offer away and poured himself another glass. 

“There aren’t many ways in which you can torture a flame elemental – blades and other weaponry are as good as useless, but they were smart. With their magic they forged a whip made of water and ice, thin and long, able to do an amazing deal of damage on pretty much everything if hit with enough force. You can imagine the effect it had on a being made of fire.” 

Images of Grillby being tortured, yelling and screaming in pain as the whip hits his back over and over and over again – you couldn’t bear it. Not the images in your mind, not even the thought of it, and you could feel your heart protest – tears starting to well up in the corners of your eyes even though you tried so hard to hold them back. 

“They asked me the location of my troops and those of the other divisions, but I never told them. I let them hit me again and again as I realised this was my punishment for failing so many of my soldiers. In the end I escaped, but in my absence my men had been left leaderless and confused. The human army had taken great advantage of this, pushing the frontline further and further back until we were forced to retreat to Mount Ebott– the place where all the evacuated people had been offered shelter. Little did we realise this had been their plan all along, waiting for us to corner ourselves. They were able to build the barrier within moments but only because they had been preparing for this moment ever since the war had started, charging and combining their powers right from the start.” 

He emptied his glass. 

“In a matter of weeks we lost half our army. In a matter of weeks I saw humans and mages slaughter all my friends and colleagues, only because I had been as _stupid_ and reckless to walk right into an obvious trap.” 

Without uttering a word you pushed your glass towards him and he took it, the contents following the same fate as his two drinks before. 

“I didn’t go to a healer as I deserved the scars, letting them serve as a reminder to never lose myself ever again.” 

Your cheeks were wet and your eyes were burning, it felt like your heart had been ripped into a million pieces. His story left images of war, blood, death, _torture_ running through your head and you were unable to stop it. He blamed himself for losing his soldiers, for losing his friends and colleagues, for losing the war. He blamed himself for everything, and you knew this was the cause of those almost unnoticeable cracks in his Soul. 

Suddenly you realised he could never love a human.  
He could never love _you_.

The floodgates were open as water streamed down your face relentlessly and you could feel your nose start to run, so you quickly wiped your arm and the back of your hand across your face. 

Grillby snapped out of his trip down memory lane and rushed around the bar and over to you, his hands hanging halfway up as he was hesitant about what to do. Why were you crying? What was wrong? Shouldn’t he have told you? 

You covered your face with your hands as you let out a quiet sob, you were such an emotional wreck, by the gods.  
You felt Grillby’s fingers on yours and you let him move them away, allowing him to wipe away your tears with a soft sizzle. 

“Why are you crying?” His deep voice had a confused undertone to it, but it only seemed to stir your emotions even more – and before you knew it you moved forward and pulled him into a hug, holding him tight. 

“I’m s-so sorry you had to go through all of t-that, god I h-hate humans. It’s not your fault. I’m so s-sorry.” 

He wrapped his arms around you and let out a soft chuckle, confusion still lacing his voice. “There’s no need to apologise, this was centuries ago. You’re tired. Come.” 

He gingerly pulled you up from your seat and onto your feet, perfectly willing to carry you back upstairs - but you let go of him and nodded, your body still energetic enough to follow him upstairs.  
He silently watched you brush your teeth and remove your makeup before helping you find your pyjamas in the mess of clothes you had crammed into your suitcase (quickly averting his eyes whenever a piece of underwear surfaced).

He left you to put on your pyjamas and changed into his own in the living room before giving the bedroom door a gentle knock, only entering when he heard your permission. 

With languid sleepiness you managed to climb onto the bed and under the sheets, and without a second thought he followed, only able to refrain from wrapping his arms around you a second before he would have done it. He would probably wake up with you in his arms but he didn’t mind, and he secretly hoped you didn’t either. 

Even though it ended on a rather sad note, he had enjoyed today. He had been able to explore his passion for drawing once more and he had even danced for the first time in maybe a thousand years or more. The effects you had on him were of such enormity that it almost frightened him. Almost.

And here you lay, facing him, so close he could touch you yet far out of his reach. Your frown slowly made way for a sleepy smile as you calmed down a bit, and after clearing your throat a couple of times you were even able to speak. 

“Good night.” 

He smiled back.

“Good night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments keep me improving my fuckups, kudos keep me confident <3
> 
> So this is it, the last chapter before a 3 week hiatus! I'm really looking forward to my holiday but it pains me to leave you guys without updates for so long ;-;  
> Please be patient, I will continue this story!
> 
> The song is called 'Lose it' by Oh Wonder, the band from who I used the first song in this fic as well. I like them a lot uwu


	17. Two Discoveries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You find out two new things in only one night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! :D  
> Thank you so much for being patient with me! Honestly, I appreciate all of you so freaking much. ❤ ❤ ❤
> 
> And oh my god look at this gorgeous fanart by MissNightingaleBlue!  
> https://66.media.tumblr.com/f7188d25804044880026d116b18f75df/tumblr_oavwetuXro1tullr0o1_540.png  
> https://65.media.tumblr.com/d15222dad08d6b8b1a9ed77aa0ccfa1c/tumblr_inline_oavwdhqOS71sb962u_540.png  
> http://feelingwonderfultoday.tumblr.com/tagged/for%20me
> 
> This is so amazingly beautiful I can't even dsgdafhhgfh ❤
> 
> I wish I could grant you longer chapters but this one and the next will be pretty short as it felt like natural stops. S: I hope it's still enjoyable though!  
> I'm so glad to be back.

The night had been dreamless and peaceful until the encompassing warmth slowly faded and your thoughts got the opportunity to invade your sweet slumber. Dreams of war and of cold, secluded landscapes in monochrome greyscale characterised by the nonexistence of time left you feeling unsettled, uncomfortable, lonely.  
Only when your subconscious realised the surreality of it all could you escape, forcing your body to wake up as you pushed the images further away. It was a tedious struggle, swimming through the ocean of unthought and unseen things, yet at last you were able to open your eyes – slowly, and with difficulty. 

You rubbed the crust from your eyes and blinked once, twice, a couple more times, but your eyes didn’t seem to adjust to the light and worry grabbed a hold of you. Were you not in Grillby’s bedroom? 

Suddenly you realised it wasn’t the inability of your eyes to adjust but the absence of the fire elemental that made it difficult to see; his light had been there when you awoke the night before but now the spot next to you was empty, and the room was left in darkness. Strange how you had gotten used to it - to him - so quickly.

It took some time before you could command your body to sit up and move your legs off the bed, your sleepiness clouding your mind and slowing down your movements, but you succeeded at last. Your arm tingled unpleasantly as you had been sleeping on it again, and now it felt like a useless piece of meat hanging at your side – numb yet painfully sensitive to touch. It wasn’t a great start of your day, but right now you pushed it aside. You needed to find Grillby.  
The floor was cold beneath your feet and sent shivers down your already frozen spine as you traversed the bedroom and opened the door. You had never fully noticed how Grillby didn’t use the heating in his apartment as he had always been a source of warmth whenever you had been here, but it was only obvious when you thought about it. 

You stumbled through the living room only to find the couch empty as well, yet to your surprise you felt relieved – you were glad he hadn’t chosen the sofa over your, albeit quiet, company at night.  
You quickly pushed the thought away and moved towards the kitchen, but once again was met by nothing but empty space. Your worry began to grow.

You checked the bathroom. Unused and empty.  
You checked the windows. Shut and locked. 

Suddenly you stopped in your tracks, your ears pricked up as you swore you had heard something - something distant. As you stood there, waiting, you heard it again: soft notes of a melody you didn’t know.  
Your feet led you through the hall, to the door, and down the stairs, your whole body set on moving as quietly as possible. Not one floorboard croaked or squeeled as you found your way to the area of the bar that was for staff, so for Grillby, only. Your heart sped up as the music grew louder with every step; it seemed to come from the bar - and suddenly you remembered the stage and the piano occupying a corner of the room. Grillby was playing the piano. 

Your suspicions got confirmed the moment you peeked around the door and saw him, his flames illuminating the space around him as his fingers danced over the black and white keys. Not only the sight of it, of his colours and the movement of his elegant fingers, captured you; you could feel the music resonate in your heart – or was it your Soul that reacted so fiercely?

Unable and unwilling to interrupt him you stood there, listening to the beautiful chords. 

Only when the music faded, Grillby’s hands lingering, hovering in the air to wait as the tune settled, did you dare to come closer, but the slightly elevated plank betrayed your presence. You froze as he turned his head around, the surprised look on his face so cute you would have chuckled if it hadn’t been for your awkward discovery. You sent him a smile, trying to make it seem as casual as possible, and stepped forward, closer, not sure what to do.

“I didn’t know you played the piano.” You fumbled with your hands a bit, biting your lip as you sought for a excuse for your evesdropping. “I, uhm, I got worried when I noticed you were gone.”

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t sleep. Did I wake you? I’ll come back upstairs-“

“No it’s okay, it’s okay.” Your smile grew more genuine. “What’s the song called?” 

“I... don’t know yet.” He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and averted his eyes for a moment. 

“Wait, it’s yours? You wrote this?” 

“...Did you like it?” 

“Hell yeah, it was beautiful!” Your voice was slightly too loud and enthusiastic for your sleepy head to be able to deal with yet and your face scrunched slightly. It was probably best if you keep your voice at a softer volume until you had fully woken up. 

But his blush was worth it, though he surprised you by moving over a bit on the piano stool; wordlessly inviting you to sit with him. And you did.  
The seat was obviously made for just one person but it fit – only just, but it fit. Your shoulder and hip touched his and you could feel the butterflies rising from their slumber. You desperately tried to keep them sedated.

Grillby’s hands took their place on the instrument again, and when they started to play you recognised the tune he had written. With silent enjoyment you listened closely, your eyes falling shut with bliss for a moment in anticipation for the crescendo, causing your heart to flutter and contract. It was beautiful. Absolutely breathtaking.  
It was as if his touch, his closeness, only amplified the way the music moved you. The composition was incomplete without it. 

It ended too soon, leaving the two of you in silence again, but you kept the melody alive by letting it sound through your mind. You wanted to remember every single note. 

“The basis is rather simple. I can teach you.” 

Without a second of doubt you nodded and listened closely to a part of the simplified version, your eyes desperately trying to follow and remember the positions of his hands, the order of the pressed keys. He repeated the first four notes, slowly now, before retracting his hand and giving you the space to do it yourself.  
Your smile only grew wider and wider as you learned more and more, and after a while you were even able to play a large piece without a single wrong key. 

 

He could feel something close to pride, or maybe it was exactly that. You liked the composition he had written and now he was teaching you to play it – two things he never could have even dreamed of. He watched you with unhidden fondness as you were too focussed on the piano anyway.  
You were a quick learner, your fingers following the pattern with ease and your sense of rhythm almost perfect. Sure, it was simplified, but it didn’t stop you from eagerly playing it again and again, starting over after every wrong note, until you could play a large part without a single mistake.

And he could feel your shoulder move against his as you played, the physical contact more than welcome. You were the sweet kind of torture – often so close he could feel his insides start to twist and turn pleasurably, yet never his. He would be lying if he said he didn’t like it, however.

After another couple of minutes he noticed your tempo was slowing down, your fingers faltering and failing to press the keys hard enough. You were still tired, and there were still some hours to go before sunrise.

“Let’s go back to bed, we can practice again later.” His smile was kind, patient, and you accepted it with a sleepy smile of your own. 

With some reluctance he stood, the skin contact gone, and led you back upstairs to crawl under the sheets and lie down next to you. He admitted he hadn’t thought about your comfort when he left the bed this night, or about how his presence had been the only source of warmth for you. He was an idiot for leaving you in the cold of his empty apartment. And before he drifted off into sleep he made a mental note to turn on the radiator as soon as he woke up.

 

This time you awoke like you should, with Grillby’s arms around you and his face buried in your neck -  
whoa, you needed to calm down there. Sure, it was wonderful to wake up like this, but that didn’t mean... wel... okay, yes, you wanted to wake up like this every morning, but that didn’t mean you should get used to it. Yeah. Grillby was just a friend after all, and this only happened because of his subconscious turning while asleep. Right?  
You hoped it wasn’t only that.

“You awake?” You kept your voice at a soft whisper.

“Hmm?” It sounded too sleepy to be a conscious response, and when he pulled you closer and nuzzled further into your neck you were pretty damn sure he wasn’t awake. 

Good Gods.

You tried to contain the butterflies and you tried to ignore the warmth building up in your veins, but shit was it difficult when you could feel his warm lips against your skin.  
Fuck, why did it always end up like this?

You couldn’t do much but wait for him to wake up, even though you had no idea how long that might take – yet secretly you didn’t mind. You liked how his strong arms held you tightly against him, how his warmth spread through both your shirts, warming your back and soothing your muscles.  
You needed to stop, or to be stopped. This was not healthy. 

But who could say no to feeling loved?

No, this wasn’t right. Not when it wasn’t reciprocated. Were you taking advantage of his subconscious actions? It wasn’t like you were forcing him to hold you, so it wasn’t technically your fault, right?

You were confused and frustrated. Mostly frustrated. 

He began to stir, eliciting a soundless sigh from you until-  
you felt his crotch move over your butt.

You forced your lips shut to catch the yelp before it escaped. Your face was intantly red, your heartbeat twice as fast as you could feel your body starting to respond. No, no, no this was not okay. Shit.

Once more you found something out that you had never consciously thought or wondered about. But then again, who would ever think about monsters waking up with ‘morning wood’? You hadn’t even thought about whether he had a freaking penis or not.  
Well that mystery didn’t need solving anymore.

Shit.  
This was embarrassing. 

Okay, fuck this, you needed to get out or this might start to escalate – or spiral down into an endless pit of awkwardness. 

You tried to wiggle yourself loose but only made things worse as your behind moved over him, causing him to breathe a soft moan down your neck. You could feel the heat starting to build and your actions got more reckless now – you grabbed his arms, careful not to be too forceful, and pried them off of you before rolling off the bed and hurrying towards the bathroom, which you locked tightly. 

 

Grillby awoke when he felt his arms being pushed to the sides. When he opened his eyes he saw you disappearing through the door, seemingly hurried, but he didn’t think much of it.  
He got out, changed into his dress shirt and black pants so that he would only need to add his vest and bowtie before opening the bar this afternoon, and glanced at the clock – 10:06.

As he walked to the kitchen he noticed the bathroom was locked. With a slight frown on his face he made his way over to the door and gave it two curt knocks. 

“Are you all right?” 

Had you gotten ill? It couldn’t be food poisoning, the magic in his stuff prevented anything like that. But then what was wrong?

“I’m okay! I just needed to use the bathroom.” 

He heard the toilet flush and the tab being turned on and off again, before the door unlocked with a soft click and you appeared in the opening. 

“I’m okay.” 

But your face was coloured with a prominent blush and your hands seemed completely dry – it was pretty obvious that you were lying. But he swallowed your excuse and smiled, it didn’t seem important enough to argue about even though it stung him slightly. Maybe you had a good reason to lie, maybe it wasn’t because you didn’t trust him. Maybe you had awoken from a nightmare and were too embarrassed to tell him.  
Whatever it had been, the moment was over now, and the two of you headed towards the kitchen, where you made and consumed breakfast. 

 

You tried to distract your mind from the totally normal bodily thing you had found out about (at least now you knew you could have sex – no. No, stop right there. Stop thinking, _right now_ ) by letting his music run through your head. It didn’t quite work however, as it only made you feel even more attracted to the man of fire – you were a sucker for talented people.  
But the silence was rather comfortable and the two of you just sat in the living room for a while, both engrossed in the books in your hands.

You could have spent hours just silently reading in his company, but when he put down his novel and raised his wrist to look at his watch you knew the moment was gone. 

“The library opens in a couple of minutes. I’m going to search for some anatomy references. Would you like to join me?” 

You felt a shiver creep over your body as the thought of going outside revived your fear.  
He was still out there.  
Sure, no new messages had clogged up your inbox, but you were fairly certain he was still watching you from the shadows – was he going to strike the second you opened the door?

 

Grillby noticed your absent staring – the telltale sign that you were thinking too much about all the wrong things – but his flames swayed steadily, without a moment of hesitation, and only emphasized the confidence in his voice. 

“I will protect you.”

You met his glance with a look in your eyes he didn’t quite recognise, but he saw how fear was still trying to cage you, to keep you from doing anything that might get you hurt – a logical reaction to your situation. But he knew it would get unhealthy. If not encouraged you would refrain from going outside for who knew how long; you would get bored, start to think more, and your thoughts would spiral further down until you would refuse to even come down to the bar – at least, that is what he predicted would happen.

To be completely honest with himself, you were absolutely unpredictable to him. What he was sure of, however, was that going outside would do you good; maybe your confidence would return, and besides, the fresh air worked miracles on a troubled mind – something he knew out of personal experience. It was why he met you in the first place. 

The shaky breath you inhaled and the way your glance hardened didn’t escape him, but a small smile grew on his lips when he realised you were gathering all your confidence. Your eyes met his again and this time there was less fear and more determination – and some gratitude as well.

“All right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments keep me trying to make chapters longer, kudos keep me trying to make them good <3
> 
> So yeah, anyone who thought this fic was still gonna be mature and sophisticated will probably have to change that opinion lol  
> It's gonna get even worse haha


	18. The Library

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What was that? It was your dignity, dissolving into thin air and floating off into space!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter that's a bit on the short side, but I promise I'll make it up to you!
> 
> Please enjoy (^-^)

“All right.”

Even though your voice betrayed your inner desire to throw yourself back into the bedroom and take cover under the sheets, only to stay there for an infinite amount of time, you stood without much thought and went to change in the adjoining chamber. He caught himself thinking you looked cute in your night gown, but better in nothing but his shirt.

When you returned he had regained control over his thoughts and had been able to keep them from straying further down that treacherous path the sight of you had set them on, so he was able to look at you without a single hint of blue washing over his face. 

Once again you showed that your sense of style was on point; the skirt, tights, and tank top complementing the shape of your body and fitting together as a well-picked combination of colours and shapes. You would undoubtedly look beautiful in anything, though, or nothing for that matter – by the Gods. He was a grown man, and he should be able to keep such thoughts at bay for longer than five damned minutes. He needed to concentrate on things that mattered, such as protecting you and providing you the sense of security that you needed, so that you would be able to face your fear. He needed to be aware of any danger and prepared to spring into action if necessary. He needed to be focussed.

 

After the two of you had put on your shoes and coats you made your way down to the back exit of the bar, there he slipped the key into the hole and turned it. At almost the exact moment he opened the door did he feel you grab his arm tightly under yours, your hands holding his sleeve with such force it drained all the colour from your knuckles.  
He admired your bravery, especially after seeing it was one of the lesser expressed traits in your Soul, but the way you held him tight and the way your body shook ever so lightly awakened a primal instinct within him – he would do everything to keep you safe. 

He checked both sides of the alley before continuing, letting the door fall shut behind him as he guided you onto the street and into the direction of the library. It was only a five to seven minute walk but he knew it would seem like ages to you, he knew your heart would keep beating twice as fast until you reached your destination. And he could only hope nothing happened, or you might never leave the apartment ever again. 

 

You clung to Grillby as if he was the only thing that kept you from floating off into the void of the milky way. The fear left no space to worry about hurting him, and left no space for you to watch where you stepped – occasionally forcing the elemental to catch your weight and keep you from falling face-first into the pavement. 

Every shadow seemed to bear a thousand stalkers, around every corner waiting a certain death. If adrenaline was supposed to keep you standing it was doing a pretty shitty job – your knees felt like jelly and gravity seemed to pull at you with such force you nearly gagged. Your intestines twisted with every step you took, the distance between you and safety growing bigger and bigger, and you felt like swimming – no, drowning in deep, shark infested waters, the sunbathing island fading from sight as you sunk deeper. 

But that shouldn’t be how you felt. The apartment was nothing but an empty shell, a cold cage with too large windows to be observed through and too many dark corners for a stalker to hide. It only felt safe there because Grillby was around. Because you knew he would protect you – he had said so himself.  
And he was still around, just in a different setting and without any walls surrounding the two of you. He was still here to protect you. You were still safe. 

 

The smell of old and new books reached your nostrils and pulled you from your trance-like state. Only when the glass doors closed behind you did you, slowly, carefully, let go of Grillby’s arm, almost expecting to lose substance the second all contact was broken. But you didn’t, and as you kept existing you followed Grillby down the aisles. 

At first you couldn’t quite pry your gaze off the end of the aisle, thoughts running rapidly through your head. What if he was here?  
But after a while your body relaxed a bit. Besides you, Grillby, and the guy at the counter, there were other monsters as well – and from your previous experiences with them you could conclude that they would react to anything unusual; especially if Sans had told them about the stranger-danger as well. So you pulled your eyes away and forced yourself to look at the books instead. 

A frown grew on your face. 

Anime?

“...You know anime isn’t real, right? Even Undyne doesn’t believe in it anymore...” 

He let out a short laugh before being shushed by the counter creature, and returned to grinning instead. “I know, but anime is categorised under art here.” He pointed at the sign hanging from the ceiling. “I thought it would be a good place to start searching for anything to do with drawing.” 

“Oh...” You felt dumb for not noticing it, but his warm smile – no pun intended – softened your self-depreciation, and you soon found yourself scanning the titles on the spines to find anything that could be of use. 

After searching both the ‘art’, ‘diy’, and ‘science’ section it seemed that luck wasn’t on either of your sides today, but Grillby wasn’t ready to give up yet. He took a seat behind one of the computers and opened the internet. To your surprise the computers were quite new and amazingly fast; the old ones must have been replaced before the monsters arrived as there was no way the guy who owned the library had any money for it. And as you watched Grillby type you wondered how many times exactly he had used a computer before. He learned quickly though, his typing gained more confidence and the way his eyes scanned the pages grew faster and more efficient with every second.

 

Grillby wasn’t too familiar with the internet as he had only known the undernet before surfacing, and had barely ever needed it in the year he had been above the ground – therefore it didn’t surprise him that he messed up.

“N-no Grillby don’t click that link! That’s not-“

But it was too late, and the video opened.  
For a moment Grillby sat frozen, staring at the male human pounding his private parts quite forcefully into the moaning woman, whose screams filled the library. 

Before he had regained his ability to react you shot forward and grabbed the computer mouse from his hands, closing the window with a single, panicked click.  
He couldn’t help but notice how close your... chest... was to the side of his face, and if he would turn his head he – oh Gods this was not good, not good at all. The images he had witnessed only moments ago were burned into his retina and his thoughts were taking them to a place he didn’t want them to go. 

He loudly shoved his chair back and stood, stuttering an apology as his face went bright blue. All the others that had been unfortunate enough to be in the library were looking at the two of you, eyes wide in shock and a blush colouring each and every cheek – but your face was the brightest of them all, closely resembling the ketchup he had seen Sans down with vigor. 

To make things even worse the monster from behind the desk came bolting in your direction, his face flushed – thought it could be from anger or embarrassment, or maybe even both – and his claws clenched into fists. 

“No one watches porn in _my_ library!”

You quickly held your hands up in your defence as you tried to explain the situation. “He wasn’t – we weren’t! W-we were looking for drawing references but he accidentally clicked the wrong link – I am so, so sorry, we really didn’t mean to, i-it was an accident, i swear!”

The man seemed to calm down a bit, growing less angry and more amused than anything else. “All right, then. But if it’s porn you two want there’s a shop just a couple of streets away, in the human district. Don’t come to my library for that.” His eyes scanned you for a moment, before switching to Grillby. “I don’t think they have any interracial porn though. Hey, why don’t you two go make that and sell it to the humans, it’ll keep the creeps out of this place!” His booming laugh hit you in the face and he slapped himself on the stomach, before turning away and returning to his seat behind the counter. 

In the mean time both you and Grillby had reached new levels of blush beyond what any of you had thought possible. The people around you were snickering and chuckling and you suddenly felt like dying would be the better option right now, especially when your thoughts took a different turn – causing your abdomen to tingle expectantly. 

You grabbed Grillby’s hand and dragged him behind you and out of the building, your feet bringing the two of you back to the bar within record time. You didn’t care about your stalker right now – no, right now you tried to forget how pleasantly warm his hand felt in yours, and desperately tried to repress the thought of how good it would feel on other parts of your body. If anyone wanted to kidnap or kill you, now was the right fucking time. 

 

But the two of you reached the door in the alleyway without any trouble, and you let go of the bartender’s hand so he could open it. Both of you kept your eyes averted as you made your way back up to the living room, where you took off your coat and where you were suddenly left without purpose. 

“Again, I apologise. I did not know-“ 

You quickly waved his apology away, still not able to meet his gaze and still very, _very_ red.”It’s okay, really. It’s not your fault – everyone finds out one way or another. The internet is filled with all kinds of... stuff.” You paused for a moment, before you let out a horrible snort and tried to hide your laugh behind your hand. “Your face was priceless, though.” 

He snorted as well, his hand shooting up to cover up the undignified sound, and as he spoke he did so through his fingers. “Yours was quite the expression as well.” He barely got to finish his sentence as a chuckle bubbled up from his chest. 

You laughed and threw yourself on the couch with an overly exaggerated sigh. “By the Gods, why does it always happen to _us_? Are there no other souls to torture around here?”

Grillby sat down in the armchair with a grin stuck to his face. “Maybe they just like to see you blush?” 

“Hmm, you were blushing harder though – I thought you were going to turn completely blue, maybe even white hot!” 

“I don’t need to be, I’m hot enough already. Didn’t you agree, last Friday?” His eyes had a playful gleam to them, his smile a tad foxy.

A loud laugh erupted from your lungs and you moved your gaze from the ceiling to his eyes. “Let’s never talk about that evening _ever_ again! That was an all-time low.” The grin on your face was gigantic - you were such a pair of idiots, honestly. Suddenly something came to mind. “did I break anything, by the way? Because if so I’ll pay you back – oh shit, wait, I still have to pay you for the drinks!” You shot up, but before you could dash to your wallet he had already waved your offer away. 

“On the house. And no, you didn’t break anything, don’t worry.” His eyes were filled with pure amusement, until his grin started to fade, and worry took its place. “You did... cry, however.” 

You blinked. “I did?” 

He nodded. “When I wanted to leave.” 

“I... I don’t know why I would do that. I’m happy.” 

Sure, you felt lonely at times, or sad without reason, but didn’t everyone? Didn’t everyone feel empty, hollow, cold, just once in a while? 

Grillby observed you for a moment, and you got the idea that he could see right through you. And apparently, he could. 

“Some say the type of drunk you are reflects your underlying emotions. You said you are the lonely drunk.” 

It wasn’t much of a question as a statement. You were lonely, weren’t you? Behind all those kind smiles, honest laughing, behind your sparkling eyes. Sure, you were happy most of the time, he could see it quite clearly, but he knew that those tears weren’t meaningless. Maybe you didn’t realise it yourself, or maybe you did – but repressed it. He watched you move a bit on your spot, trying to formulate an answer even though he already had it. Nevertheless, you spoke. 

“Well, everyone is lonely sometimes, right? And I have barely felt lonely since I met all of you guys. My parents live quite the drive away, but I’ve been living without them long enough to get rid of homesickness. I feel fine. Maybe the alcohol just exaggerates whatever little there is.”  
You smiled at him, locking your gazes.  
“I like it here, in the monster district. I like staying with you and I like every second I spend in the bar or just doing things with people I can call friends now.” You let out a soft laugh. “I even joined a little theatre club even though my acting is probably shit.” Your eyes glazed over for a moment as you saw the memories of the first club meeting play inside you mind, a smile on your face, and when you returned you looked him straight in his eyes, your voice confident. “I feel great.” 

 

He nodded, a relieved smile forming on his lips, and tried to calm his slightly fluttering heart. You liked staying with him. Not just at his place, no, with _him_. Or was he hearing what he wanted to hear, seeing things in your word choice that were not there?  
He hoped not. 

You slumped back into a more comfortable position, a gentle afterglow of blush still present on your cheeks. You looked at peace, a smile pulling gingerly on the corners of your mouth as you closed your eyes, a wordless sigh escaping your lips, and he felt like this was how it was supposed to be.

“Honestly Grillby, thank you. For everything.” 

“You’re welcome, and you will always be. No matter what happens.” 

And you smiled at him, with such sincerity, such brightness, that he, instead of taking in every detail, basked in the feeling of the moment, and closed his eyes with a smile. 

This was exactly how it was supposed to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments keep Grillbz blushing, kudos keep me blushing <3
> 
> Sophisticated fic? Pfff, don't make me laugh!


	19. Two-Wheel Cart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The evening goes as planned - until it all comes crashing down on him, and he becomes lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A long chapter to make it up!  
> Gahh I like this one a lot ♡
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!

You spent the rest of the day doing a little bit of everything. A little bit of drawing and being drawn, a little bit of talking, a little bit of reading, and a little bit of sitting around and doing nothing at all. 

Soon the time came for Grillby to open his bar. After buttoning up his bartender vest and tying his bowtie he asked you if you would come downstairs tonight, to which you replied with a ‘maybe later’, and with a last smile he disappeared down the stairs. 

You pulled your legs up on the couch and moved until you lay on your back, facing the ceiling – the ultimate thinking position, with nothing for your eyes to focus on but the images in your head. The events of today came flooding back within a second, but only a part of you cringed; the other part felt like laughing it off.

Honestly, you were glad you’d been able to keep your cool when the two of you had arrived at the apartment. Sure, your blush had been more than prominent, and the atmosphere had been pretty awkward, but you had been able to reply to his apology – which was a start.

The weird situations only seemed to grow in severity. At first you had only called him handsome, which wasn’t _really_ a secret – probably everyone would think so. With his defined jawline and eyes the colour of the impossibility of molten flames, and how could one not lose themselves in the dancing of his fire?  
Next, Grillby had carried an inebriated you upstairs, only to be asked to stay. Apparently you had cried, probably cuddled up to him during the night in search of company, and awoken in his arms with a terrible hangover, but both of you had survived.  
This was followed almost immediately by Grillby seeing you in a rather... well... ‘unconventional’ outfit, if you could call it that. Luckily that had only been for a couple of seconds, but the image must have traumatised the poor man. And only yesterday had you stepped on his feet and sent him to the ground, landing right on top of him. 

But this morning topped all of that – the other situations had mostly just been between you and him, and occasionally Sans, but this time the two of you had had an audience of at least five other monsters.  
And good Gods had it been loud.  
The actress’ moaning had echoed through the building with the volume of a thousand airplanes ascending and the sound of flesh hitting flesh had burst the eardrums of everyone in the room. You could never show your face there ever again. 

What was next? You shivered at the possibilities that presented themselves in your mind, and quite vividly at that. Your clumsiness was still a major threat, and Sans as well – who knew what that bag of bones was planning. Imaginary scenes ran through your head, until you realised it was pointless anyway. What happened, happened, and you would have to deal with it. 

You wondered what Grillby thought about humans, and if the video had changed his opinion. Hell, what was _your_ opinion of human kind, anyway? Porn had definitely changed it, but not for the better.  
As your mind churned on you drifted further off beyond the boundaries of reality, until your eyes slowly fell shut. 

 

Strange and enticing dreams of flesh and fire blurred and morphed into landscapes beyond explaining, emotions splitting and merging into a sense of weightlessness, of falling - 

You hit the floor with a loud thud. A pained hiss escaped through your clenched teeth as your hand moved to the back of your head to rub it violently, your back aching and probably slightly bruised. Fuck, that hurt. 

After taking a moment you pushed yourself up and climbed onto your feet, using the table and sofa in the process, and glanced at the clock. Thirteen past eleven. Had you really just slept for five hours?  
You let out a soft groan, your mind still a bit hazy. It puzzled you that your growling stomach hadn’t awoken you; its vicious rumbles urged you to make yourself some dinner – and so you did. You grabbed a couple of things from the fridge you hoped he wouldn’t miss before working it all down in only a matter of minutes.  
You stayed upstairs watching TV for another hour, awake and fresh as if it was a new day altogether, before checking your hair and make-up and heading down to the bar. 

 

The patrons that were still there – which weren’t that many – greeted you with enthusiasm, and you answered their calls and waves with a big smile. Your eyes found Grillby within a fraction of a second, smiling back at you and greeting you with a small nod as he set an order in front of one of his customers. 

Sans’ raised hands caught your attention and you turned your head to meet his gaze. He was looking at you through his two thumbs and index fingers, of which his white phalanges formed a heart shape, before turning it towards Grillby, his signature grin ever so wide.  
You greeted him with the standard rolling of your eyes and shaking your head in disappointment, and like always you were unable to stop your lips from pulling up into a smile. 

 

To Sans’ delight did both you and Grillby grin at his childish gesture, but he noticed no blushes appeared on any cheeks. His actions were losing their impact – the amount of tension he could create was dropping. But he didn’t fret; quite the opposite, actually. Now that both of you had gotten used to his low-effort teasing he could finally take out the big guns. Of course he would keep making innuendo comments and silly puns, but the things he prepared in the shadows – he could only imagine the looks on your faces. 

He was going to have such a great time and you didn’t even have the slightest. 

 

“That grin seems too big, even for you.” You eyed him suspiciously, but he only winked. 

“don’t worry about it.” 

“Okay, now I’m definitely worried. What are you up to?” 

He lifted the bottle of ketchup to his mouth and took a couple of swigs, earning a disgusted look from you – followed by a slightly annoyed sigh as you realised he wasn’t going to answer your question.  
Grillby entered the stage, taking your order and putting the drink in front of you within moments. 

“so i heard about your little library adventure.”

Bomb #1 dropped. He watched it explode as your faces froze, eyes wide in absolute horror. God, he loved doing this so much. 

“did you find anything to your liking? too bad they didn’t have any human-monster action yet, eh?” 

He had difficulty keeping back his laugh. Grillby had quickly turned a deep indigo blue that complemented your reds beautifully; the two of you were absolutely perfect for each other. 

“if i find anything i’ll let you know. didn’t think you’d get on the porn-train so soon, tho, not before doing it yourselv-“ 

Your forehead hit the bar and stayed there, but your embarrassment was still visible through the shadows. And Sans just lost it.  
His baritone voice boomed through the room, the sound of him slapping the bar joining the laughter. If bomb #1 was this much of a success, he _definitely_ wanted to be there when the second one hit its target. 

He wondered how, or rather, _if_ the two of you would sleep tonight, assuming you dared to share the bed again. Ohoho, and the dreams – especially if both of you had sexy ones _and_ remembered them. Would you be able to look each other in the eye the next morning? How he wished he could be there to see it. He would’ve brought a shitload of popcorn. 

But alas, even he wasn’t going to invade your privacy like that. And besides, what if he actually walked in on the two of you doing the do? A weird feeling twisted in his stomach. No, too risky, but damn did he want to see your faces. 

He gave you a friendly pat on your shoulder. “don’t worry about it kiddo, i’ll leave the quest for porn up to the two of you. I don’t know either of your kinks anyway. Maybe try blindfolding grillbz, i think he’d like that.” And at the sight of your faces – though you were currently hiding your colour behind your hands – he laughed again, clutching his stomach as he found himself funnier than one should. 

Priceless, absolutely priceless. 

 

“seriously tho, what happened?” He couldn’t get the laughter out of his voice just yet. 

At this Grillby straightened, determined to clear your name. He felt how he had at least been burning two degrees higher since Sans had started talking, and the reflection in the glass he was wiping (and had almost dropped) showed him that once again his face betrayed him by turning a whole different colour. 

“I was looking for drawing references on human anatomy, particularly female anatomy. I... accidentally opened the wrong link.” 

Sans heard you snort next to him and turned, a tad surprised, to see how you were now covering up your grin, trying to hold back the laugh that came bubbling up from within. Grillby’s blue only brightened at the sound, but the skeleton noticed a twitching smile, one he was desperately trying to control, pulling at the corners of his mouth as well. Interesting. 

“and that link just happened to lead to a video of two people getting it on?” 

“...Yes.” 

Another laugh breached through your effort to keep it back, but you quickly composed yourself again and started on your drink instead, visibly trying not to choke on it. 

“so-“ 

You set your glass down again with a loud thud. “Sans, please. It was his first time using Google to search for drawing references, cut him some slack, will you?” You spoke through your fingers as you covered your smile, but your eyes twinkled with laughter – and without warning Sans suddenly saw what Grillby must have been seeing all along.

You were breathtakingly beautiful. 

It took him aback for a moment and he had to take care not to stutter or blush. “all right, all right. Don’t think i’ll ever let him live it down, tho.” He hoped his grin seemed as wide and careless as he wanted it to be, but honestly he felt lost. You had suddenly pulled the ground from beneath his feet, and he was falling. For you. 

 

The conversation continued with mostly small talk, and somewhere that hour he teleported home and back to get you the salads he had promised to bring. Of course you had tried to hand him the money but he kept refusing, causing you to mumble something along the line that you weren’t a damned charity, but in the end you put it back in your wallet anyway and thanked him. 

It was sometimes hard to concentrate on what you were saying as he was completely focussed on your eyes. On how the lights danced in them. On how the colours of your iris seemed to melt and mix, forming new patterns every second.  
On how they betrayed your emotions so easily. 

It was easy to spot the fondness swirling between the hues as you glanced at the man made of fire when he didn’t look. Stolen glances, secret smiles, eyes that lit up whenever he turned his smile and attention to you.

It hurt. 

It hurt to see you laugh with him, it hurt to hear you speak with him. He felt excluded, abandoned, a third to a two-wheel cart. Was he no longer needed to brighten either of your days? Had you taken away his friend, to be constantly at your side, and had Grillby taken away his chance at love, for he had given you his heart before he had had the opportunity? He hadn’t felt as confused as he did now in a long time. 

But would there have been a chance, even if it had been a small one, in a different timeline, where you had fallen for him instead? Would there have been a chance, even if it had been just a _tiny_ one, where you would have brightened _his_ days instead? 

He felt like screaming as he was torn between emotions and thoughts, between heart and mind. If he wished the best for his oldest and best friend, this would be the right timeline. This would be the right way, the right outcome, as he was convinced the two of you would get together sooner or later, with or without his help. You were the definition of Soul mates.  
If he wished the best for his friend he should keep doing what he had been doing – treat you as nothing but a friend and plan sneaky schemes that would bring you two closer together with every pun he made and every figurative bomb he dropped. 

Was he allowed to have the hope that, if you and Grillby didn’t work out, you could still fall for him?  
Was he allowed to hope for your romantic interest at all?

And you kept talking to him, smiling and laughing like nothing was wrong while he felt like everything he had ever known as right came crashing down on him. And you kept smiling and laughing, giving him the attention he suddenly found himself begging for, and you didn’t have a clue as to what it did to him. But it wasn’t your fault, and it wasn’t Grillby’s either. It was his. 

He shouldn’t have let this happen. It wasn’t right to be in love with the crush of your best friend.  
Maybe it wasn’t right for him to be in love at all. 

 

You started to notice the skeleton’s unusual silence, and his grin when you inquired about it (‘just a bit tired, that’s all’) seemed, when the lights shifted, devoid of happiness – or any other emotion for that matter.  
But you knew prying would get you nowhere, and so you kept your mouth shut on the subject and waved him off with a bright smile when he announced it was his time to go. 

As soon as he was gone, however, you turned to Grillby. 

“Did he seem a bit different than usual to you?” 

Grillby thought about it for a moment, presumably searching his memory for anything that seemed off, before answering. “He did seem less talkative, and he has made fewer puns than other nights... Do you think something might be wrong?” 

“I don’t know...” 

The drunk bunnymonster stumbled by to say goodbye before meandering to the door and leaving the two of you alone in the bar. You dropped the subject, left it as it was, and returned to comfortable silence. You’d ask the skeleton later. 

 

It was a bit more than half an hour before closing, but Grillby expected no one else to show up anymore and decided to close up a little earlier. As he walked to the door to lock it and to turn the sign you snatched the rag and spray bottle again, and started cleaning- until Grillby turned around again and watched you for a moment, arms crossed in front of his chest. 

“Too tired to dance?” The raised brow, or at least the impression of one, added a foxy air to his grin.

You chuckled. “Unless you want me to step on your toes and knock you over again, I think that might not be the best idea.” 

But he strode over to you and gingerly took a hold of your hand, held it up, and slowly spun you around. “You can step on my toes whenever you want.” 

Butterflies swirled inside of you and you let out a giddy laugh. “At least let me put on some music first.” 

And you danced again, with twists and turns and steps and swings, and with bodies close together. Once again you relished in his warmth and the feeling of his touch, and you tried not to think too much of it. He just liked dancing, and so did you, nothing more. 

And you tried to forget about how you woke up this morning, or about the library incident, but flashes kept forcing their way back in and soon you felt your blush grow. You had thought you’d been able to deal with it, but it appeared you were still a bit childish after all. Damned be your immaturity. 

 

After a couple of songs the dance came to an end, and you returned to cleaning – this time with a broad smile on your face. Grillby too got back to work as well, and within minutes the bar was proper and shining as good as new.  
As the two of you headed upstairs you realised you were still too awake to sleep.

“I’m going to be watching some telly, if you don’t mind? I’ll keep the volume low.” 

He spoke while getting out of his vest. “I’ll join you, so don’t worry about the volume.” 

You walked over to the TV and turned it on, waiting for the black screen to flash into images – and it certainly did. 

_”Oh yeah, ooooh, fuck me!”_

Your eyes went wide and the remote dropped from your hand, before you quickly bent over and tried to catch it mid-fall, slapping it away instead, and you yelped as you dove after it. Grillby, in the mean time, stood frozen, eyes locked on whatever was happening on the screen, his eyes wide and his face blue for the umpteenth time today. 

Finally your fingers caught the black plastic and after a bit of panicky fumbling you pointed it at the screen and pressed that button with all your might – but it didn’t turn off. 

“F-fuck – what – how” You rushed over to the TV itself and pressed all the buttons, but the only thing that happened was the volume turning up in an instant, moans suddenly booming out of the speakers. 

“I-i-i-it itsn’t working!” But your words were washed away by loud wave of sexual grunts and whimpers.

Suddenly both you and Grillby got the idea of pulling out the plug, resulting in a body-to-body collision and a still going porn video. You threw yourself back with another yelp, feeling as if your face was going to explode, and Grillby pulled the plug out with so much force he nearly took the wall with it. 

You sat on the ground, leaning against the couch and completely and utterly red. Grillby sat against the wall, the brightest blue you had seen him yet – and neither of you could look at each other.  
Suddenly you realised what he must be thinking. You had been upstairs all evening.

“I didn’t – I wasn’t – no! I wasn’t watching that, I swear!” 

Though he was still slightly shaking he lifted his hands in a calming gesture. “I-it’s all right, I understand, i-it is a natural thing to d-“ 

“ _No_ , Gods, no! Grillby, I wasn’t watching that! Oh my God-” You covered your face with your hands, unable to stand up as your legs were reduced to jelly - and you desperately tried to ignore how your body was reacting between them.

And when you peeked through your fingers you noticed a post it note half-hidden under a book. You moved up on your knees and grabbed it, your eyes growing wide as you read it. 

“Fuck, I’m going to kill that son of a -“ You let out a loud groan and handed Grillby the note without looking him in the eye. 

“Bomb number two: Brought you a little present, hope you have fun tonight. Xxx Sans.” Grillby stared at the note for another couple of seconds before letting out a soft sigh that developed into a chuckle, and continued to grow further and further into a deep laugh. It was a good thing he was sitting or he would have slid down the wall – he was clutching his stomach like he wasn’t getting any air and actual, lava-like tears formed at the corners of his eyes, and you just looked at him; dumbfounded and utterly confused. 

He tried to say something but his laugh kept interrupting him, and before you knew it a snort escaped you – sending him even further down the spiral.  
It took him a while before he was able to get himself together again and he rubbed his eyes, panting from his burst of laughter. 

“I’m sorry for assuming – I should have known. I am so sorry for ever letting him introduce himself to you.” He covered his face as he laughed again, but more subdued this time. “I am going to kick his bone-y ass the next time I see him, don’t worry.” 

It was your time to snort and laugh, mouth hidden by your fingers. “Thanks, and I want to be there when you do.” 

Another chuckle, and he pushed himself back up. “Of course, you were blushing the hardest anyway.”

“I was not!” A large grin spread on your face and you got up as well.

“Oh you certainly were~” 

You gave him a playful slap against his arm - and immediately regretted it. The look in his eyes changed to something dark, a devilish grin spreading across his posture. You hesitantly set a step back, hands raised. “What are you going to do...” 

And suddenly he leapt forward, grabbing your waist and throwing you over his shoulder. You let out a yelp and softly slapped him on his back in futile resistance. The only thing convincing you he was kidding was the laughter taking the edge of his serious tone. “This means war now.” 

He threw you – gingerly – on the couch and attacked your sides with wriggling fingers, pushing your waist down into the cushions whenever you, in between laughter, found the strength to attempt an escape. Your lungs couldn’t get enough air and you were wheezing as you tried to push him off, but he was too strong and you were too weakened by his vicious attack. You wanted to kiss that smug grin of his face but instead you managed to break free and push him back against the armrest – giving you the advantage now. And you tortured his sides with even less mercy, making him roar with laughter under your touch. 

He caught your wrists in his hands, leaving the both of you unable to do anything. You raised your chin, your toothy smirk dark but playful – just like his. “I definitely won this one.” 

He let out a breathy chuckle, still trying to calm his lungs. “All right, all right, you win. I give up.” 

 

The two of you sat on the couch for another moment to get your breathing and heart beat back under control, until you shared a glance. No words were needed, only smiles, as the both of you went to make yourselves ready for bed. Not that you were even remotely sleepy, however.

It was strange, but it felt like you either crawled underneath the sheets at the same time as Grillby or stayed up and were required to sleep on the couch. You didn’t want to wake the man from his well-needed and well-deserved sleep by walking in hours later. And sleeping on the sofa, which would never escape your host, would lead to questions. Or were you over-thinking things? Gods, you needed an off-switch to your mind sometimes. Too bad you weren’t too tired to think. 

So you crawled into the bed together with the bartender, both trying to hide your blushes.  
Both of you tried to forget about everything awkward, and even though you weren’t very successful, for Grillby it worked. He felt how the day had taken its toll on him and he was thankful for it – for now he was free from the conscious struggle the images in his head provided.

The unconscious struggle, however, was only just about to start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments motivate me so much, kudos keep me adding angst <3
> 
> Sans has fallen.


	20. Going Shopping, Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you meet a man who is no fool.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!  
> I'll be absent for a couple of days due to the introduction week for my uni/college but I'll be back before next Sunday!

You had him pinned against the wall, staring into his eyes with a dark look in your own and a lustful smile pulling on your lips. One hand pressed against the wall next to him, the other slowly sliding up his thigh. His breathing grew laboured as he couldn’t tear his eyes away from your capturing gaze yet he could feel your touch through the fabric, moving slowly, driving him insane, and his heart was beating at a pace that even surprised him. 

_“I want you, Grillby.”_

Your voice was low, dripping with want, and it sent shivers down his spine – he was bewitched, enchanted, his gaze flickering to your lips and back as he felt control slip through his fingers. 

_“I want you to_ fuck _me.”_

Your hand reached its destination and he let out a groan in agony and pleasure; but something was holding him back. He couldn’t move, not his legs, not his hands - and he knew why.

He couldn’t change the nature of his dreams, even if he wanted to; but he didn’t, not really, and he hated himself for liking it. He realised all too well he was dreaming, as he knew you could never love him. You could never love the man that slaughtered so many humans it cracked his Soul for good, leaving him weak, broken, useless. So it was himself who kept him from acting on his urges, who kept the nonexistent manifestation of himself from grabbing your mind-fabricated body and kissing the idea of your lips. He knew that, if things escalated, there would be consequences in reality, and he didn’t want you to find out about his feelings in such an undignified way. It was time to change this and bury his hopes. 

So instead he moved to softly push you away, a joyless smile on his face and a pained look in his eyes.

 _”No, you don’t”_ He brushed a strand of your hair to the side, ignoring the confused look on your face as he spoke again, his voice a doleful whisper. _“Because that’s what_ I _want. You don’t exist – not here. Not like this.”_

Your gaze fell, and you set a step back. _“It doesn’t mean this needs to stop. If the real me doesn’t find out about your midnight adventures everything would be okay, right?”_ It was almost as if you were pleading, begging for this to continue, but he shook his head with a chuckle devoid of mirth. It was a conversation with himself. 

_“No. I don’t want to act on lust, not even in my dreams. Don’t get me wrong, I like you - her - but this is not how it should be. Give me innocent dreams, give me dreams of stolen kisses and holding hands. Anything I can wake up with without making a fool of myself.”_

_”Is that really all you want? The dreams of a teenager without imagination?"_

_”No, but it’s all I’m allowed to have.”_ His tone left no space for discussion any longer, and you nodded. 

_“Always the gentleman.”_

 

He awoke with a smile. 

 

-

 

Sans hadn’t been able to sleep. You had haunted his mind, tortured his Soul with memories of your smiles and giggles - and he realised this had been going on for longer than he had thought. He had just been too blind to his own emotions to see. 

Your blush at his first pun had made his Soul flutter, yet he had thought nothing of it. The lonely look in your eyes the moment other patrons arrived had made his heart contract, and he had felt compelled to do something about it, to make you smile again - yet he had thought nothing more of it than his ability to relate to the things you must have been feeling at that time. And the moment he had grabbed your hand to drag you away from the dogs and to the booth containing Muffet, he had felt his body tingle with warmth where your skin had touched his bone. He had blamed the ketchup. 

He had felt something close to jealousy the moment he had heard Grillby speak to you, though he had thought his jealousy was aimed towards _you_ , as Grillby had never uttered a single word to him with not a single timeline as an exception. The second he had noticed your message he had felt a strange sensation, but had refused to label it as excitement. He had blushed, his heart skipping a beat when you had called him good company, and the second he had seen your new work attire he had felt his stomach twist pleasurably.

When you laughed because of his puns, rolled your eyes at him while being unable to stop your lips from pulling up into a smile, he had felt proud, confident, happy. Even his brother had commented on his unusual bright grins. 

And the list went on and on. 

How had he been so oblivious? Shouldn’t the primal instinct to protect you, which he had felt the moment he had heard of your stalker, have been enough to make him realise his growing sentiment? Hell, shouldn’t all the things he just listed in his head have been obvious enough? And yet it had surprised him. It had clicked, snapped, less than a second needed to feel gravity suddenly shift around him, and his heart had shattered as he realised he had fallen for someone he could never get. 

He didn’t want to think about any of this as it only made the ache in his chest grow even more painful, yet was unable to stop. He had tried to push all his feelings away, to make himself empty like he had been a year ago, to go back to being nothing but bones. And, even with emotions, that was still all he was, wasn’t he? He was the monster that hid beneath children’s beds, the creature inducing fear in the minds of young ones. He was the personification of a nightmare. 

It felt as if all hope on happiness slid through his phalanges like sand and he cried, tears streaming down his face as the familiar darkness of depression wrapped itself around him again. 

 

-

 

Grillby lay as motionless as possible. It was you who had caught him in your grasp this time, your cheek and chest pressed against his back as your arms were loosely wrapped around him – yet he felt at ease. He had been able to ward off anything unwanted – even though they weren’t necessarily unwanted by him – and the situation he was in didn’t call for any awkward action on his part. He could just lay here, wordlessly enjoying your innocent touch and listening to your steady breathing, as it was his unspoken rule not to wake you.  
And he mentally thanked both himself and you for being incredibly stubborn, which caused the two of you to share his bed at the end of the days you had spent here and the days that you were yet going to spend living with him. He hoped it were many. 

He suddenly realised two things. One, that today, Wednesday, was his day off, and two, that he had been invited to Frisk’s birthday party this afternoon. Oh, and he didn’t have a present yet.  
A sudden rush of panic struck him. The kid and he had been sort of friends since they had set foot in his bar, yet he barely knew anything about them. They hadn’t talked much during the hours they had spent at his bar, there had just been this mutual understanding through silence, and it had reminded him of Sans at first - but he realised he knew the skeleton much better. What in the world should he give them as a present? Did they have any hobby’s? Practice any sports? Play any instruments? 

He moved his free hand through the flames atop of his head. What if he disappointed Frisk on their birthday? He didn’t have Toriel’s number to ask if there was some kind of list of things the child wanted, and he didn’t think Sans would know much either, even though their bond was closer. Papyrus would just give them spaghetti and probably a self-designed shirt that was, beyond doubt, going to be way too big, and Undyne would probably give some kind of toy weapon if he knew her well enough. He had no idea how close Alphys and Frisk were, but he doubted the yellow monster would be able to help him. What was he to do?

He felt you stir behind him, letting out a sleepy sigh as you slowly woke up, and he could feel his worries fade for a moment. Your hands slipped back to your sides yet you stayed close to his body, presumably for the slight warmth he was radiating, and eventually he heard you sit up. He acted as if he just woke up as well, stretching and letting out a soundless yawn as he slowly turned around to look at you. You shifted your gaze to him and rubbed some sleep from your eyes, a soft smile pulling on your lips, and your voice was slow and raw still when you wished him good morning. He returned the wish and smile with those of his own. 

 

The two of you took your time waking up as it felt like a typical lazy morning, the glow of the morning sun coating the rooms in a gentle glow. The two of you got dressed in separate rooms, and as you did your hair and makeup he made both of you some magic-infused breakfast. All his food and beverages were prepared with the use of magic as he couldn’t eat or drink anything without it, but he knew it made everything taste better for humans as well, so he prepared yours in the same way as his. Therefore it was no surprise you ate the food with a delighted look on your face, yet it still made his heart swell with a gentle kind of pride. 

Once all had been devoured and empty plates had been fed to the dishwasher did he start the conversation. 

“I’ve been invited to Frisk’s birthday today. Would you like to come?” 

Your head tilted a bit. “Frisk?” 

“You might know them as the Monster Ambassador.” 

He loved how your eyes grew wide in surprise, your jaw nearly slacking. “You’re asking me to the birthday of the human that saved all of monsterkind?” 

“Yes.” 

“I’d love to come! I mean, well, if they want me there, as I’m technically not invited.” He saw your expression change from excited to anxious as you rambled on. “What if I make a fool of myself? And would it even be right for me to be there? It’s not like _I_ did anything to save anyone, and I don’t even have anything to wear, and what if – “ 

“____.” He looked at you, amused, flames swaying calmly, and you fell silent as you gave him your attention again. “I know they would only be glad if you’d come. Toriel is very kind, and I know for sure Frisk will like you. We can go to the shopping street to find you something to wear.” Oh, that reminded him. “I still need to find a present as well, but I don’t.... I’m not very good at picking the right gifts. So I might need your help with that.” 

A smile grew on your lips and after a moment you nodded. “All right. You don’t mind going into countless shops only to come out empty-handed? I’m not good with buying clothes.” 

He let out a chuckle. “I don’t mind at all, but if that’s true it might be best if we leave soon.” 

And so you did. He started to notice your nervousness again as the realisation that you needed to go outside again downed on you, but he kept his posture calm and collected, giving off calm vibes he knew you needed as the two of you made your way downstairs - and it seemed to work. You sent him a grateful smile, hands still shaking but gaze confident as you stood in the doorway. He smiled back and stuck out his arm, not really expecting you to take it, but with a last giggle you did and he felt his heart flutter as he led you through the alleyway and out into the streets. 

 

With your hand on his arm you walked from empty streets to a view of busy shops, people dashing in and out of boutiques and cafés, and suddenly you realised what it must look like: that you and Grillby were a couple. You felt heat rising to your cheeks and you wondered if you should let your hand fall back to your side, so you would save the both of you from awkward stares and meaningful looks. The shopping district was situated in the human part of town, and any monster would immediately be noticed – especially one that was on fire. Sure, it was the closest to the monster part, so they were far from uncommon here, but many people were slow to adjust.  
Therefore it didn’t surprise you that the two of you turned a lot of heads.

You felt your cheeks heat up, and wondered once more if you should let your hand fall back to your side. What if Grillby didn’t want to be associated with you as his girlfriend? But the fire elemental apparently couldn’t care less and kept walking, his arm steady under your fingers. 

You tried to ignore the shocked stares, the pulled up noses, the disgusted looks. You would bear it all for both yourself and for Grillby. Even if people turned their backs to you in abhorrence it was nothing of their business anyway, so their opinion didn’t matter. Not to you, and not to Grillby. Let them think you fucked a monster, let them think you were one of the fetishists – because yes, you would gladly fuck this man and honestly you didn’t care if that was considered a weird kink or not. They knew nothing about him, about his personality or his talents, or about you for that matter. They could all just go to hell. 

And yet you were still blushing. 

You had taken his arm without really giving it much thought, and you hadn’t let go yet. Grillby seemed calm, confident even as he walked at your side, his posture straight as if he knew no shame.  
You firmly squashed the hope that he didn’t mind because he _wanted_ it to be a date. Was it a date? Gods, you hoped it was, but you were too afraid to ask, and the nagging voice in the back of your mind soon had you convinced that no, it wasn’t.  
And so you kept your slightly trembling hand on his arm, unable to look him in his eyes until he turned right and led you into a shop at the corner of the junction. 

All around you were unfinished frames of bicycles and skeletons of fix-me-up motorcycles, boxes filled with parts built into towers against the wall, and, most prominently, shelves full of shiny helmets lining almost every inch of the white-painted brick. You suspected where this was going. 

“Grillby, I-“ But he ignored you and greeted the man on the floor who was trying to fix a bicycle chain, his hands black with oil and dirt. He looked up and quickly stood, a smile revealing his slightly crooked teeth.

“Guid morning Hellfire! Ah think ah’ve git jist th’ thing ye speart fur.” 

His Scottish accent surprised you quite a bit, but not as much as the name he had called Grillby. With his hands up in front of his chest, held in awkward positions as if not to get anything dirty, he walked over to one of the shelf-lined walls and pointed without touching. 

“This was whit ye wanted, reit?” 

Grillby nodded at the man and took the new-looking helmet off its spot. “Yes, thank you, Fergus. Is this the right size?” 

“Ay, ah think this one might fit yer lass.” He gave a nod towards the one in Grillby’s hands before turning to you, a kind smile on his face. “Try it oan and ye’ll find oot. Pleased tae meet ye, whit’s yer name?” 

You gave it to him but before you could even start your complaint that there was no need for Grillby to buy you a helmet the man shook your hand and turned to give Grillby a harsh but well-meant slap on the shoulder. 

“Ye chose well, lassie! This bloke is a real gentleman, he ne’er lit me down when ah needed his help.” The grin he gave the fire-elemental, however, was twice as wide. “She’s well bonnie. Guid job lad, yer bairns will be pure braw!” 

You had no idea what the man had just said in that last sentence but it had caused Grillby’s flames to shoot to twice their size, his face suddenly completely blue – so maybe it was better if you stayed clueless. 

“W-we’re not – we’re just friends.” Grillby visibly tried to push back his blush, his eyes aimed at anything but you.  
And you, in the meanwhile, tried not to show how much that phrase stung. 

“Och, did ye git ‘friendzoned’? Dinna fash yirsel, ah merrit th’ third lassie wha friendzoned me. Thare’s aye hawp fur th’ twa o’ ye.” 

You needed to focus on his words and not his pronunciation to figure out what he meant, but if you were right he had just said that there was still hope for you and Grillby to marry- and guessing by the elemental’s bright blue face it was exactly what the man had just insinuated. Oh look, now you were blushing as well. Excellent. 

Grillby just gave up with a sigh, a tiny smile pulling on his lips. Fargus was a good friend, but during the year he had been trying to couple him with two other women who had been unlucky enough to be here at the same time as him, and to at least one of his nieces. It shouldn’t have surprised him that this time would be no different.  
What did surprise him, however, was the fond look in the man’s eyes as he shifted his gaze from him to you and back. 

 

Because Fargus was no fool. He knew about Grillby’s feelings for you the moment he had called him to request a helmet for you; one that matched his motorcycle – the glimmering black decorated with the same, elegant flames. Not only did he care about your safety when you rode with him, as he had requested a helmet made of the best materials he could afford, but he also cared about your comfort: the isolating material subdued any sound too loud and the inside lining was made of a monster-made fabric that kept the temperature inside pleasant.  
Yet the fact that he was driving you around on his motorcycle had already been enough to convince the man that you were not just an ordinary girl to the man of flames. 

But he would comment on it no further. It seemed like you were interested in the man’s affections but Fargus noticed some kind of reserve, as if something was holding you back. He didn’t want to dishonour your reasons for your reticence, nor ruin the lad’s chances with you, so instead he turned the conversation back to the helmet.

“Well, gang oan, see if it fits!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments keep me coming back for more, kudos help me think <3
> 
> I wrote the Scottish accent as accurately as possible without making it unreadable, yet I don't know if I used everything correctly. So if there are any people from Scotland, don't hesitate to point out any mistakes! I'll fix them immediately. (btw I love your accent aaa ♡ ♡ ♡)
> 
>  **Translation:**  
>  _'Ah think ah’ve git jist th’ thing ye speart fur'_ = I think I've got just the thing you were looking for  
>  _'She's well bonnie'_ \- she's very beautiful  
>  _'Dinna fash yersel'_ \- Don't worry  
>  _'Yer bairns will be pure braw'_ \- your babies/children will be absolutely gorgeous/beautiful


	21. Going Shopping, Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you meet a man who _is_ a fool.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very short and mostly talking, but longer one coming this weekend!
> 
> I love all of u ;u;

Grillby handed you the helmet. A last glance in his direction told you that this was not up for discussion, the smile on his face kind but the look in his eyes stubborn, so after a final moment of hesitation you put the thing over your head. It fit perfectly. It felt as if it had been made for you, and not even the slightest hint of claustrophobia rose.  
So you opened the visor, confirming their looks with a soft and reluctant ‘yes, it fits’, and within minutes the helmet was paid for. 

“Hae a guid day!” 

 

You gingerly shut the glass door behind you and turned to Grillby, who acted like nothing was wrong. You were a tad angry – he didn’t need to spend so much money on you; especially not when he spent it on things like this. Your stalker could be caught any moment, you would move back into your apartment, and you would either walk or take public transport to wherever you needed to go. There would be barely any occasions, if there would be any at all, in which you would need to wear a helmet. It had been a complete waste of his money. 

You knew complaining wouldn’t change anything, but you needed him to know that this was not okay. 

“Grillby, you really didn’t need to do that. You just threw away a lot of money to buy something you don’t even need, and which I’ll probably barely use! At least let me pay for myself. Just because I haven’t worked for a couple of days doesn’t mean I’m completely broke, so please don’t treat me like a charity, okay?” 

Grillby stopped walking and turned to face you, the look in his eyes defined by a friendly sternness. 

“Yes, I feel bad about your situation, but that is not why I bought it, not because I think I should treat you like a charity. I bought it because I care about your safety. You don’t know how long it will take the police to get him, and if it goes on for long enough you will have to go back to following classes and going to work. I will need to drop you off and pick you up with the only form of transport I have access to at all times, which requires a helmet to keep you safe. If we get in an accident and you hit your head –“ he stopped for a moment, taking in a deep breath - it seemed as if he was trying to push back too vivid mental images. When he spoke, most of his sternness had left his voice. “If that happens, your death will be on me. I don’t want that, all right?” 

His lecture had, at the end, drastically turned from explaining to pleading. He was nearly begging you to just go with it, to leave it be. He didn’t want to be responsible for your death, should something happen. 

All your anger drained away and seeped into the ground, leaving space to fill up with a more familiar feeling. “I’m sorry, I hadn’t thought about it like that. Sorry, I just... I shouldn’t have lashed out at you like that. You’re just so kind to me and I don’t-“ You quickly shut your mouth. 

_I don’t feel like I deserve it._

If there was anything you didn’t want, it was pity. But it was too late, Grillby had figured out what you had wanted to say, and any leftover austerity disappeared from his eyes as it got replaced by worry. 

“____, is everything all right? We can go back to the apartment, if you want?” He gently placed his hands on your shoulders, and felt them tremble. The conversation about the lingering threat must have awoken the fear you had been able to repress, and his act of kindness had apparently stirred your heart enough to set your emotions free. 

But why did you not feel like you deserved this? Were you not used to being treated with the same kindness as you treated others?

Before he knew it he had wrapped his arms around you and pulled you close, enveloping you in a tight hug. “You deserve any cent I spend on you, all right? All of it. You deserve every act of kindness anyone gives you, so don’t let anyone – not even you – tell you otherwise.” The words he spoke reminded him of things you had once said to _him_. He hoped you would be just as grateful as he had been.

 

Slowly you slid your arms around him and the two of you just stood there for a while. You didn’t say anything, you didn’t cry, but the soft shaking of your body ebbed away, and you were calm again. It was no surprise you were constantly on edge, even if public places were the safest to be. The fear must be a constant factor of stress to you, both mentally and physically, and it had only been a matter of time before you would snap. Honestly, he was surprised it had been this mild, but then again it might not be in your personality to scream and shout. Not in this context, anyway. 

And as if on cue you pushed him away, gaze aimed at the ground. “Grillby, we’re... People are watching-“ 

“Oh, yes, forgive me.” 

He quickly let go of you and let his arms fall back to his sides as he glanced around, answering the stares from other pedestrians who then swiftly looked away. He wasn’t embarrassed by it. If he had to choose between never getting disgusted stares ever again and walking through town with you at his side, the choice was made in less than a second. These people believed the two of you were a couple and their judging glances were proof of it, yet it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing – because of them, he actually felt like you and him were together.  
He treasured the feeling as the two of you continued to walk further down the street. 

“So... How old is Frisk?

This took him aback for a moment. “I... Don’t know.”

You stared at him, eyes wide. “You’re going to the birthday of the freaking Monster Ambassador, for whom you still have to buy a present, and you don’t know their age?” 

He rubbed the back of his neck, grinning awkwardly. “It wasn’t on the invite, and I never asked them. I-I think, possibly around the age of ten?” 

you shook your head with a smile of disbelief. “All right. I think I might know something, and age doesn’t really matter.” 

 

After you picked up your gifts – you paid for your own – and dropping them at Fergus’ shop, where Fergus would hold on to them and the helmet until you returned, the two of you walked to the part of the small district where large mannequins stood dressed up behind the glass. The things they were wearing were pretty, but whenever he pointed at something you usually shook your head. It wasn’t your colour, the shape didn’t look good on you, it wasn’t appropriate for a birthday, or it just wasn’t really your taste. 

In the first three shops you didn’t try anything on and left after searching through the collections a bit. It truly puzzled him. Sure, he had his own standards and requirements for buying clothes, but your list of rules seemed endless at times. No white fabric anymore as it became see-through when wet – something Grillby had suddenly become very aware of the first time he met you, though he didn’t say no to being reminded once more – and nothing too flashy, as you didn’t want people to look at you at someone else’s birthday. 

But he had no difficulty staying patient. It was actually quite fun to watch you search the racks like a huntress on a mission, eyes scanning fabric with such speed he wondered if you had been trained for this. After a while he began to see what you liked and what you definitely didn’t, and decided to tease you a bit. 

“Is this what you’re looking for?” He showed you a bright pink, orange, and mint green t-shirt with a neckline that was way too low, the fabric obviously of poor quality. 

You let out a ‘pfff’, a large grin on your face. “Not in a million years.” 

A couple of minutes later he held up another garment. “How about this?” The purple shirt in his head was decorated with orange polka dots and green glitter, with too long fringes dangling from the bottom. 

You laughed and pulled up your nose. “where did you even _find_ that?” 

 

The look in his eyes was adorable, a playful shimmer appearing whenever he held up another atrocity and a wide grin on his face as he waited for your reaction. You responded to his questions with melodramatic acts and over-the-top expressions, all while trying not to burst into a fit of giggles. The man had a real talent for picking the worst of the worst. 

You silently thanked him in your head as you knew what he was trying to do, and you had to admit that his plan was working. You relaxed, started looking for his held up garments from the corner of your eyes, and at times even forgot that there was still someone out there with less than pleasant intentions towards you. When you found something horrible yourself you held it in front of you and struck a pose, desperately trying to keep your expression dead serious. And to your delight he laughed every time. 

 

In the fifth shop you finally found an outfit that was both casual and birthday-appropriate. 

“I’ll be over there, just gonna try this on for a second.” 

“All right.” 

You strode over to the back to occupy a cubicle, convinced that Grillby was searching for any new horrifying fashion flops, and changed. Yet when you stepped out of the changing booth to find a mirror you hadn’t expected him to sit outside, looking you over the moment you pushed the curtain to the side. A blush rose on your cheeks, but he talked before you could. 

“It looks good on you.” 

“...I-I, uhm. Thanks – I... Mirror?” 

He let out a chuckle and pointed at the obnoxiously large mirror right next to you. 

“Oh- yes, eh, thanks.” 

You wanted to bash your head against a wall at the sound of your eloquent mutterings and quickly turned towards your reflection. It was true, the outfit was beautiful and you actually felt kind of pretty wearing it – and it was pretty cheap too, so the decision was quickly made. A relieved sigh escaped your lips; you had been spared from hours and hours of futile shopping. 

You changed back into your own stuff and walked with Grillby to the desk, where you paid for it yourself and took the bag from the cashier before the elemental had even had the time to _think_ about reaching for it. 

The streets seemed even more crowded now. The weird looks you got only seemed to increase on your way back to Fergus, and your irritation with them. Why was this still a thing? Why couldn’t people just keep their glares to themselves or at least offer you a nod or a smile when your gazes met?  
And, of course, one asshole just had to be _that_ person.

“Go back to your cave you dirty monster, go fuck those of your own kind!” 

Grillby tensed immediately but you quickly put your hand on his arm, hoping it would calm him a bit, and whispered a soft warning. 

“Ignore him, he isn’t worth it.” 

You kept walking but noticed the dude was following the two of you, jogging to catch up. 

“Such a shame of your pretty face! Wouldn’t you rather fuck someone like me?” 

You kept ignoring him and increased your pace, grabbing Grillby’s hand to drag him along, until you suddenly felt a hand grab your shoulder. 

“Come on sexy, leave that creep and come have some fun with me.” 

You stopped in your tracks and slowly turned your head around, giving the man the deadliest of glares. You hoped the saccharine sweet tone of your voice was venomous enough to stop his heart. 

“I wouldn’t fuck you even if you were the last man on earth.” You gave him a smile too kind to fit in the context, and it visibly scared him. He backed off, hands held up in front of his chest. 

“All right, _jeez_. You are one crazy bitch.”

You turned back and started walking again, dragging the elemental with you. Your grip on his hand was tighter than you would like to admit. 

 

You reached the cornershop without any without any other insults, and when your pace slowed down again you let go, your hand retreating to your pocket as the other opened the door. 

“I’m sorry about that.” You glanced at him from the corner of your eye.

“It’s me who should be apologising, if I hadn’t been-“ 

“If you hadn’t been shopping with me I would still have been in the apartment. Because of you I dare to actually go outside, and I don’t care about the things they call me. I just don’t want you to think you’re less than anyone else.” 

 

He wanted to kiss you so badly he could feel his lips starting to itch for yours, but Fergus appeared before he could act on his urges. Having feelings for you without being able to express them proved to get more and more frustrating with every second that passed. 

“Welcome back! Let me jist git yer things.” The older man bent down and disappeared behind the counter for a moment, before reappearing with the two bags you had left under his guard. “ ‘Ere it is!” 

Grillby stepped forward and took it from him. “Thanks again, Fergus. You know you’re always welcome in my bar.” 

“Ah ken, ah ken. Ah’ll see if ah kin git me some time aff, tae try yin o’ those famous burgers o’ ye. Anyway, hae fin at th' birthday pairtie, dinnae sloch awfy much cake or ye’ll git nauseous.” 

 

With a last wave the two of you left, and headed home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments keep my feet on the ground, kudos keep my head in the clouds <3
> 
>  **Translation:**  
>  _'Ah ken'_ \- I know  
>  _'tae try yin o’ those'_ \- to try one of those  
>  _'hae fin'_ \- have fun  
>  _'dinnae sloch awfy much cake'_ \- don't eat too much cake


	22. A Bit of a Pickle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not all birthdays are innocent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Here's a longer chapter to make up for the short one ;3
> 
> Oh my God look at this amazingly beautiful fanart!  
> http://feelingwonderfultoday.tumblr.com/post/149218273349/tunasoba-inspired-by-feelingwonderfultoday  
> Thank you so much Jooseppi/Tunasoba! It is so beautiful ;u; asddfadsfgfh
> 
> There will be another small hiatus coming in a week or so, so I hope to upload one or two chapters before then. We're getting near the end guys, I'm so sad ;-;
> 
> I hope you like this chapter! The music is 'Valse De La Lune', a soundtrack from Wolf's Rain.

You wrapped the presents as well as you could manage. Box-like things were easy, but anything inconsistently shaped proved to be a tad difficult. You fucked up twice, the first time running out of paper and the second time accidentally tearing it, but the third time you succeeded, and it didn’t look too bad. 

Lunch was had, chapters were read, and the silence was comfortable. Soon the time came for you to change into your new outfit and to touch up your makeup.  
With your hands leaning on the sink, elbows locked to support your weight, you stared into your own eyes. It was strange, but you felt... comfortable. The reflection in front of you suited the image in your head – you felt like you. 

You left the bathroom with a gentle smile pulling on your lips, and noticed Grillby had changed as well. His navy, almost black pants added a dash of ‘fancy’ to the playful vibes of his check button-up shirt, and, as expected, he looked damn fine in it. You realised you were staring at him and quickly lifted your gaze to meet his own - only to see that he was already looking at you, a smile on his face and a look in his eyes you couldn’t quite read. 

You felt colour rise to your cheeks and tried to distract yourself by turning 360 degrees and spreading your arms in a wordless ‘ta dah’, which granted you a low chuckle in that rich voice of his. But your plan to keep your blush under control backfired. 

“You look beautiful.” 

 

You stood there for a moment, blinking, trying to calm your fluttering heart before letting out a short, nervous giggle and answering with a stuttered ‘thank you’, after which you swiftly darted past him to get your coat. You felt as if the Gods themselves had praised you.  
He thought you were beautiful.

Maybe, if you dressed nice enough, he could fall for you even though you were human. But could your looks really change his mind? It sure as hell couldn’t change his past. And you didn’t even know his aesthetic preferences.  
Yet you felt like you would do anything to get his affections: work out or eat more, try to be more energetic or to be calmer – you would do it all if it would make him return your feelings. 

Were you really that desperate? 

You knew it wouldn’t be healthy to change for anyone but yourself, and if he didn’t like you the way you liked him, then nothing would change that. It wasn’t like you could switch races or change your eye colour, let alone parts of who you were. No, change wasn’t good, not like that. If it just wasn’t meant to be, then so be it – you would have to get over him. 

You grabbed the bag with the two gifts, trying to change your thoughts to less depressing things, and turned back to see Grillby getting his – your – helmet out of the plastic bag. Negative thoughts instantly got vaporized.  
You were excited to ride with him again, to lay your arms around his waist and to press yourself against his back, and no matter how desperate you were to try and hide that excitement – it was to no avail.  
The second Grillby met your gaze his smile grew, his glance mirroring your own enthusiasm as he walked over and handed you the helmet. It was a casual action, like handing someone a cup of coffee, but you felt like he had just handed you a bouquet of flowers or a cliché heart-shaped box of chocolates, and the giddy schoolgirl feeling returned once again. 

 

You followed him down the stairs and into the alley, where the vehicle was parked. Your disagreement with the whole buying-you-a-helmet thing had been long forgotten and you had to keep yourself from smiling even wider. Happiness coursed through your veins as you followed him to the street, a sense of careless freedom filling you as you put on your helmet and took your seat behind him. The insignificant moment you had foolishly looked forward to for the last couple of minutes was here: you wrapped your arms around his waist and leaned against him, feeling him rise a degree in temperature. Honestly you only cared a little whether he was embarrassed or not – it wouldn’t make you enjoy it less. 

He started the motorcycle and drove off, driving at a safe and comfortable speed. Sure, you wanted to go faster, to get that rush of adrenaline, but you also wanted to enjoy the sensation of him in your arms for as long as possible. And who could blame you? You were too far in, too far gone, and quite certain that this wasn’t spring fever.  
But the ride was over within minutes as Frisk apparently lived in the monster district as well, and soon there was no excuse left for you to keep holding onto your fiery crush. 

You slipped off the vehicle and put your helmet underneath your arm before glancing over at the house in front of you. It was large, the front porch decorated with dozens of plants blooming in all shades of yellow, and there was even a swinging bench attached the outdoor ceiling. It looked mature yet playful, inviting, and therefore you only hesitated a _little_ before knocking on the door as soon as Grillby had returned to your side. You were still a bit nervous to meet the Monster Ambassador and Grillby’s queen. Would they like you? Or would they think you were awkward? You wouldn’t blame them if they did. 

The door swung open and your heart skipped a beat, but you were greeted with a familiar face – well, skull. 

“GRILLBY! HUMAN! COME IN, WE’RE ALL GLAD TO SEE YOU-“ 

But before he could continue a human child dashed through the hallway, flew past the skeleton, and attacked Grillby with a hug. The elemental sunk through his knees a bit so he could hug them back, his embrace them swallowing up. It warmed your heart and you watched the brief, endearing moment with fondness, until he stood again and ruffled their hair with a smile on his face. 

Frisk now turned their attention to you, obviously trying to figure out whether they had met you before or not. 

“Hi, nice to meet you Frisk! I’m ____.” You shook their hand, but slightly frowned when instead of talking they signed back. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t know sign language...” You felt a bit lost – guilty, even – and sent them a slanted, apologetic smile, until you noticed Grillby’s hands started to move. 

Frisk responded and cocked their head to the side, punctuating their question. The movements of their hands meant nothing to you, yet you could see the effect they had on Grillby and guess what the inquiry had been about. Blue found its way to his cheeks and he quickly shook his head, sighing something back that made them turn their attention back to you, eyes scanning you sceptically.

You didn’t know what to do or say. Grillby had presumably told them that you and he were just friends, so there was nothing left for you to add. And to your horror, a foxy smile spread on their face. They suspected something was up. 

“We brought presents?” You quickly tried to change the subject, and it seemed to work. 

The child visibly brightened, nearly jumping up and down with excitement when you handed them the bag, and after taking off your coat and shoes the two of you followed them to the living room, where you were greeted with even more familiar faces. 

“Yo nerd! Didn’t think I’d see you here! How’s things?” 

But before you could answer the queen entered the living room, a large, steaming pie on the plate in her paws. 

“Oh goodness! Let me just put this down.“ She set down the plate and hurried over to you, shaking your hand. “How nice to meet you! Sans mentioned you would come. I am so glad Grillby has finally found someone, I hope he takes good care of you?” 

Undyne roared with laughter and Alphys squealed. “Y-you’re in a relationship? Why hadn’t you told us? I ship it so much!”

And you just stood there, dumbfounded. Your cheeks were burning and your heart was racing, but after a moment you found your voice again. “N-no, no, we’re friends! I’m just staying at his place for a while, until I can return to my own apartment.” You shot Sans a meaningful glare which he answered with his own, his grin only growing. 

“Too bad, punk. I think you’d be great together. Not as great as me and Alphys, because we’re the greatest, but great still.” Her toothy grin was playful and her words elicited a shy giggle from the yellow monster next to her. You only sighed, and the goatwoman sent you an apologetic smile, before her eyes suddenly grew wide in realisation. 

“I have not introduced myself yet! I’m Toriel, Frisk’s mother. Please, take a seat. Can I get you anything to drink?” 

“Tea, please - if it’s not too much trouble?” 

“No it is fine! Please, make yourself at home.” And she disappeared back into the kitchen again. 

Before you could sit down, however, you felt a skeletal hand on your shoulder and turned around to see a slightly sad Papyrus. 

“I’M SORRY I HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO STOP BY YET, BUT I HOPED TO VISIT TOMORROW, IF THAT’S OKAY WITH YOU?” 

You smiled brightly at him. “Don’t worry about it! Tomorrow’s fine, come over whenever you want.” 

He cheered up a bit, and the three of you sat down. The couch was only just too small for all of you and you were sandwiched between Papyrus and the man of fire. As you felt the edge of the monster’s clothed pelvis dig into your hip you realised how glad you were you hadn’t fallen in love with a skeleton. Trying to ignore the slightly uncomfortable pressure on one side you focussed on the pleasant, soft touch of Grillby’s body against yours instead. 

“you’re sitting between two guys, you should make a wish.”

You sent Sans another glare. The wishing thing? Seriously? He shrugged lazily, but the others were now looking at you as well. You could think of a thousand wishes: let Grillby like you back, let the government be kind to the monsters, let your stalker be caught soon, and the list went on for ages, but none were birthday-appropriate. You glanced over to Frisk, who was tearing into the wrapping paper like a vicious animal. 

“I wish Frisk likes their presents.” 

They glanced back, a wide grin on their face, before quickly returning to the ripping and pulling. Toriel returned from the kitchen and handed you your tea, after which she shifted their attention to Frisk, who, at that exact moment, let out a pleased yelp of surprise. 

“What is it, child?” 

Frisk held up the bucket filled with fluorescent stars, their lips pulled up into a gigantic smile. Toriel, however, didn’t quite understand, so you quickly explained. 

“You ehm, you put them on your ceiling, and when you turn off the lights at night they will glow in the dark. Like an indoor starry sky.” 

The human child was now literally bouncing around to show everyone the stars, and the monsters looked at it in awe. Comments like ‘that’s so nerdy I love it, punk’ and ‘t-that’s s-so cute!’ eased your nervous heart. Even Sans looked slightly impressed by your choice.

Next was the gift you had picked for Grillby, who seemed just as anxious for Frisk to like it, his eyes fixated on the child as they resumed the unwrapping. It didn’t take long before the lava lamp was revealed, and to both your and Grillby’s relief was it received with just as much, if not more enthusiasm. They immediately plugged it in and turned it on, impatiently waiting for the blobs to form. 

The conversations restarted and continued; Alphys talking to Sans and Undyne to Papyrus, Toriel slicing the pie in pieces to hand out. You noticed Grillby hadn’t said much – nothing, actually - since you had arrived, and you suddenly realised he was still something like a selective mute. You had completely forgotten about it since he had talked so much to you the last couple of days, and you were kind of used to the longer, yet comfortable silences. You’d have to do the talking for both of you. 

You took the slice of pie from Toriel, smelling cinnamon and... butterscotch? And in some inexplicable way it fit. It fit the homely atmosphere of the house, the warm tones of brown and crème interrupted by splashes of yellow in the form of flowers and other decorations. It fit with the fireplace, the two soft sofas and armchairs, and it fit with the monster herself.  
This was not at all how you had imagined her, but you liked this better. 

 

It was a pleasant afternoon. You answered friendly questions, took part in some of the conversations, but mainly watched the others for most of the time, just like Grillby. You had the urge to lean your head on his shoulder, to intertwine your fingers with his as you watched your friends laugh and joke with fondness, but instead took a sip of your tea and let out a contented sigh. You weren’t really one for birthdays, but this was certainly nice. 

After a while Undyne turned up the music and took Alphys to dance, Papyrus pulled Frisk up and started swinging them around, and to your surprise Grillby stood as well. You followed him with your eyes and met his gaze, butterflies awakening again as he held out his hand, and you took it. You followed him to what was now temporarily the dance floor, gaze still locked with his and a blush growing on your cheeks. You barely heard Alphys squeal or Undyne put a hand over her lover’s mouth, and you didn’t even notice Papyrus making way for the two of you. You were oblivious to the world, lost in Grillby’s eyes and caught by his touch, music streaming pas your ears as a new, slower song started. 

_Blanc ou noir comme toi je pars au loin,_  
_avec l'espoir de changer le destin._  
_Bien que dans le corps l'âme embrase,_  
_dans l'obscurité la distance devient infinie._

You didn’t even blink when he lay his hand on your hip and kept a hold of the other, as you were fixated on him. He started moving and you followed his steps as if you had done this a thousand times before.

_Avec des jeunes vêtus en peau de bête,_  
_on danse ensemble au milieu des tempêtes._  
_Un autre horizon se dissout_  
_dans la lumière des yeux qui veulent se reveiller. ___

__His hand followed your hip, his grip slightly loosening as the music sped up a little._ _

___Et, j'attend là,_  
_où rien bouge maintenant._  
_Même si je ne te vois pas_  
_Je peux retrouver ce que l'on cherche dans la nuit,_  
_même si c'est très difficile_  
_je danserai mon chemin avec les loups._

__He turned you around and caught you, performing a dance together like one could see on TV. You moved as two yet were one, staring into each other’s eyes as if nothing else existed, and it was different than when you had danced before. Not only were there people watching, but the dance was different as well. Your bodies were slightly further apart, the dance forcing you to part and return, and yet it felt just as intimate._ _

_____Je sentirai la lumière sur ma peau,_  
_sans avoir peur de tes mauvais côtés_  
_C'est la lune qui conduit la danse_  
_quand le soleil sera couché dans ton âme froide._

_____Je t'attend là,_  
_où rien bouge maintenant._  
_Où l'ombre déploie tous ses voiles_  
_Je peux retrouver ce que l'on cherche dans la nuit._  
_Même si c'est très difficile_  
_je danserai mon chemin avec les loups._

__You knew the others were following the two of you as you moved around on the music, but when nervousness threatened to rise you saw determination fill his glance – and for a moment you thought he was going to kiss you. You wanted him to kiss you._ _

_____Même si je ne te vois pas_  
_Je peux retrouver ce que l'on cherche dans la nuit,_  
_même si c'est très difficile_  
_je danserai mon chemin avec les loups_

__But instead he spun you around, caught your back, and supported you as he dropped you lower, before gingerly pulling you back up and letting go altogether. The dance was over._ _

__The rest started clapping and yelling, Undyne even whistling on her scaled fingers._ _

__“That was AMAZING! I didn’t know you two nerds could dance!”_ _

__“WOWIE, HUMAN! YOU AND GRILLBY SHOULD ENTER A DANCE COMPETITION!”_ _

__“You l-looked like an a-anime couple!”_ _

__“sure looked like the two of you were gonna kiss.” Sans winked._ _

__You quickly took a step to the side, away from Grillby, and tried to control your blush. “We both just like to dance.”_ _

__“so you have danced before, then?”_ _

__You nodded._ _

__“in the bar?” He wiggled his eyebrows._ _

__“Yes, but-“_ _

__“alone?” The wiggling intensified._ _

__“Sans-“  
“Dinner is ready! Please, take a seat at the table! Sans, can you help me out?” Toriel sent you a wink and you gave her a grateful look in return – but Papyrus intervened._ _

__“LET ME HELP YOU, MY LAZY BROTHER WILL ONLY DROP YOUR PLATES!” And before anyone could say anything he nearly pulled Toriel back into the kitchen. Sans’ grin was of shit-eating size now._ _

__You ignored him as you went to get a seat at the round dinner table. Grillby sat down right of you, Alphys left, and Undyne next to her fiancée. Sans seated himself across from you with Frisk sitting next to him. This left one more chair._ _

__Papyrus and Toriel put everyone’s plates in front of them and went to sit down, until they, too, realised that they came up short on chairs._ _

__“Oh my, I do not know if I have more chairs!”_ _

__Sans, of course, took the opportunity like a hungry wolf._ _

__“that’s okay, ____ can sit on grillbz lap.”_ _

__Undyne snorted loudly and Grillby’s flames whoosed up higher, his blush returning. Even Toriel let out a chuckle, and you sourly wondered where her I’ll-protect-you-from-Sans attitude had gone, but she quickly helped you out. Or at least, you thought she was helping you out._ _

__“No, no, I think I might have another one in the basement.” She held back her laugh. “Unless you _want_ to sit on his lap?” _ _

__“i bet grillbz would like it – “_ _

__“A-a chair is fine, thank you!” You tried to hide your blush with the back of your hand, eyes intensely fixed on the table in front of you. You desperately tried to ignore how you could feel the elemental burn warmer next to you, and how you could see his blue blush reflected in the glass he was nearly melting._ _

__And so Papyrus went down the basement and returned with an extra chair.  
Most of the dinner was peaceful, no jokes from Sans or knowing looks from Undyne, and the food was great – though you knew Grillby could make it even better.  
At the end of dinner, when your belly was nearly full, you still craved pickles. You had no idea why. Maybe it was because you hadn’t had them in a long time, and felt like you had rediscovered the taste of them altogether this night, or maybe it was just because you had weird cravings every once in a while. And you couldn’t help but notice that Grillby had left his one on the side of his empty plate. 

__“Hey, Grillby?” He turned to face you. “Can I have your pickle?”_ _

__Sans snorted so loud that all conversation stopped and all heads turned to him. The grin he gave you was too wide, and you felt your heart sink as you knew what was about to come._ _

__“i bet grillbz will give you his pickle whenever you want, but please save it for the bedroom, k?”_ _

__Undyne burst out in laughter, her hand smacking the table with such force you feared all glasses were going to shatter, and even Toriel tried to hide her snickering. Papyrus was only blushing a dash of orange but it was nothing compared to the severity of your reds and Grillby’s blues – not to mention how his flames had nearly doubled in size from embarrassment. He quickly shoved the sour cucumber on your plate without being able to look you in the eye. You didn’t think you could eat it now, however._ _

__“well go on, or are you too scared to put it in your mouth?” His devilish smirk only added to the vulgarity of his innuendo, but it was a challenge too. Did you still dare to eat it?_ _

__The pure, innocent Frisk conveniently left to go to the toilet, and you saw the opportunity to beat Sans at his own game.  
You picked up the pickle and slid your tongue over it, slowly, _very_ slowly, from bottom to top, before moving it over the tip – all while keeping intense eye contact with Sans. He suddenly fell dead silent, gaze locked on how you slowly pushed the pickle through your pursed lips and _snapped_ it in two, a wide grin stretching across your face. His cheeks were now a bright blue and his eyes were so wide you had difficulty containing your laugh, but you quickly swallowed it – and nearly choked – when you heard Frisk return. _ _

__Yet you hadn’t noticed how Grillby had secretly been staring at you as well. How his eyes had followed your tongue, and how his blush had only grown brighter – but not of awkwardness. Toriel, however, had noticed. She had also noticed how the two of you had stared into each other’s eyes as you had moved through the room in a beautiful dance, and how Grillby had glanced at you from the corner of his eye when you were too deep in conversation to notice. It was all so obvious to her, but she didn’t say a word. She just observed the two of you from the other side of the table, a nostalgic smile pulling on her lips. She missed being in love._ _

__Dinner was over soon, and after a while the sun started to fall behind the rooftops.  
When it was time for everyone to go home she wished them goodbye, thanked them for coming, and told them they were always welcome to visit before waving them off. She watched you get on the back of Grillby’s motorcycle with motherly affection, chuckling at the sight of the blushing elemental when your arms found their way around his waist. He was in deep, and so were you, but you were both too blind to realise. She hoped the two of you would find happiness with each other._ _

__With a final wave you disappeared around the corner of the street, and after a last breath of fresh air she softly closed the door._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments and kudos make both me and Grillbz very happy! <3
> 
> I chose Valse De La Lune for 3 reasons:  
> 1 - I have a bond with that anime. That fucking anime. Still makes me cry damnit  
> 2 - The title of this fic is French so I'd be damned if I didn't put some French in here  
> 3 - I really like the song and I can vividly imagine Reader and Grillby dancing on it <3  
> So don't pay too much attention to the lyrics, it's not that appropriate ;3
> 
> Once again thank you all for reading this fic! Your comments and support motivate me so much to keep writing, and I've heard such lovely things that they instantly made my day. Please feel free to leave a critique, to point out a mistake or a typo, and honestly I'm more than honoured if anyone wants to make fanart! I tag Se Brûler fanart with 'se bruler' and 'for me' on my tumblr, so if you'd like to check out other works please feel free to visit my Tumblr!  
> http://feelingwonderfultoday.tumblr.com/tagged/for%20me


	23. Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts before the night falls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A mini chapter, not really a chapter, so therefore the title 'interlude'. 
> 
> Please enjoy.

You shook off your coat and put your shoes next to Grillby’s before walking to the living room and flopping down on the couch. Grillby had seemed more tense on the way back when you had held onto him again, and you wondered if he’d watched the pickle thing. You cringed internally at the not so distant memory of the tongue action; it wasn’t really like you to do sexual innuendo stuff in front of other people, and _especially_ not in front of the guy you liked. How horribly embarrassed he must have been... Not that it was really your fault, though – Sans had it coming.  
You giggled at the thought of his face. He had looked so shocked, eye sockets wide and the white pinpricks motionlessly focussed on the pickle, and his blush had been even brighter than when he had seen you in the porn-y work outfit. 

Grillby walked over to you, one eyebrow pulled up at the sound of your soft laugh, and took off his leather jacket. You waved it off with another giggle. “Sans’ face.” 

He chuckled, but hoped it didn’t sound as forced as it felt. He was pretty certain that his own face had been quite the sight as well – good thing you hadn’t been looking at him because if you had, he might have tripped over his chair while running for the bathroom. By the _gods_ had it been weirdly arousing; his pants had felt a little too tight for him to be comfortable with, especially in company of his friends and his queen. He cursed his body for not listening to his mind. Controlling himself had been hard enough when you came around, and he definitely didn’t need you playing all these sensual tricks on him. Not that he didn’t like it, however. 

He quickly pushed the thought away before his arousal would become visible and strode over to the bathroom, which he firmly locked. He didn’t want to touch himself, not when you were in the adjoining room – or even in the same building for that matter – so he forced himself to calm down, to wait for his body to answer his commands again. But who could blame him? Sans’ comment had irreversibly linked the pickle to his member, and the thought of your tongue- _fuck_ this was not helping. He sunk down the white-tiled wall and buried his heated face in his hands, letting out a shaky breath. He felt himself slip, he felt how urges only grew in their beast-like viciousness when they found out his defence was dropping.  
He knew it wouldn’t be long before he would do something rash. 

-

Sans, however, was battling the same division yet of a different fight. He was torn between jealousy, sadness, and arousal, and it fucked with his mind. 

He pulled up his legs and leaned against the wall of his room, the only source of light coming from underneath the door. The darkness was both his friend and his enemy as it soothed him, but allowed his thoughts to run freely, allowed him to think about things he didn’t _want_ to think about. The look you and his best friend had shared during the dance, so entranced by the other, it felt like a knife to his heart. He had been so gentle with you, leading you through the dance in a way that hadn’t been far from professional, and you had followed him without a second thought, trusting him so completely that the two of you, in that moment, were one. He had seen how you had held his hand, and how his had lingered on your hip. How his eyes had been so full of admiration, and yours so full of disbelief. 

Your Souls knew. 

Your Souls realised that the two of you were made for each other, and that there would be no other for either you or him. He saw them reaching out for the other, desperate to show it. But the mind can be stubborn, thoughts keeping you down, past experiences pulling at your feelings as if to make them invalid. 

There was no space for him. You were like two butterflies dancing around each other, wings fluttering in an attempt to get close but the fear of crashing holding you back. 

Sans realised this all too well, and it made tonight, and the memory of it, even more torturous. The revenge might have been sweet for you, but on his part it was mostly bitter – your actions had made his body react almost instantly, yet had also left him unsatisfied. He could only imagine how frustrated Grillby must be at this point. 

He needed a solution, a plan before everything would spiral further down and he wouldn’t be able to live with the innocent attention you gave him. Before he wouldn’t be able to keep his act up, his grin lazy, his puns horrible yet funny. Before he would give up all together. 

And so he grabbed his phone, tapped on the name of the monster who he knew could help him, and sent his message of distress.

sans – 20:13  
i need ur help with something

-

He flushed the toilet as to make his untold lie more believable, and wondered if this was exactly what you had done that morning he found you locked up in the bathroom. He still had no clue as to why you would have done that, but he forced himself to let it go. If it had been important you would have told him. 

When he entered the living room he noticed how motionless you lay, how your eyes were closed and how steady your breathing was. Apparently the birthday party had drained all of your energy reseve, and he didn’t blame you. He, as a bartender, was used to seeing lots of monsters almost every day, but for as far as he knew you had been quite secluded in your way of life. And then there was the morning of shopping, dashing in and out of buildings and joking around while ignoring the judging looks from people passing by. 

He walked around the sofa and kneeled next to you, so he could touch your shoulder in the hope you would wake. And just when he wanted to stand up again to get ready to lift you up, you slowly rolled onto your side, and looked into his eyes. Your face was so close to his that your half-lidded eyes needed to adjust to the extra light, but you didn’t flinch back. You just smiled. 

“Hm?” 

He smiled back, trying to keep the expression in his gaze from being too loving. “I think it might be best if we went to bed.” 

“’M’kay.” 

You closed your eyes and for a moment he wondered if you had drifted off again, but then a soft sigh escaped from your lips and you pushed yourself upright. He followed you up, offering you an arm and tried to calm his heart when you took it, using him to support yourself and letting him lead you to the bedroom. You were sleepy and therefore slow, but he was patient.

You had apparently forgotten about the thing called privacy as you pulled off your shirt right in front of him before he had even had the chance to turn around, causing his flames to grow and his blush to return – and when you noticed he was still looking, your mind was still too tired to process things quickly enough. He got an eyeful before your eyes grew wide and you quickly turned your back to him. And he damned himself, for he couldn’t help but think that the red bra looked sexy on you. 

But to his surprise the awkwardness had faded again when the two of you were fully changed and crawled underneath the sheets, and you even dared to move onto your side and look him in his eyes again as the two of lay next to each other, bodies too far apart to be touching. He wanted to scoot closer, to intertwine his legs with yours and to feel the softness of your skin under his hands, but once again he refrained from doing so, and then you spoke. 

“Is it okay if Paps comes over tomorrow?” 

“Of course.” 

“Thank you.” 

Your voice was so soft, so sweet, how could no one have claimed you as theirs before? You hadn’t said a single word about boyfriends or crushes since you had met him, but he knew there must be at least some, right? Or was he thinking all wrong? You were still so much of a mystery to him.

He watched how your eyes slowly fell shut, and it wasn’t long before you were completely gone. He let his eyes glide over your face, over your cheeks and over your lips, where they lingered. It was still three seasons before Christmas, when he could maybe set up a mistletoe trap. God, he really was desperate, wasn’t he? Was it even fair to lure you into kissing him? It wasn’t like he would be able to wait for Christmas, though.  
Should he just ask you out on a date? Tell you he liked you? Well, it was a bit more than ‘like’, he was certain of that, but he didn’t want to scare you off. You were the best thing that had happened to him in decades, centuries! Even the breaking of the Barrier was a tiny joy compared to what your presence had brought him. 

He had thanked Frisk before, for freeing monsterkind, but he now realised that, without them, he wouldn’t have met you. Sure, there were a million other factors, a billion other decisions that had led to that moment in the gazebo. If he hadn’t felt down that afternoon, if he hadn’t gone out for a trip to the park, if it hadn’t started raining – he didn’t want to think about it.  
He couldn’t imagine his life without you in it. 

Gods, was he being cheesy? Too quick to fall in love? He knew you for a little longer than a week, and he probably didn’t even know you that well. And yet every fibre of his being, every molecule in his body screamed that yes, you were the only one. You were what he craved, what he needed. He hadn’t grown tired of you living with him yet, and he didn’t think he ever could, so that could be a sign, right? 

He moved his hand through his flames and let out a soundless sigh. You messed him up pretty badly, and you were completely oblivious of it, but _by the gods_ he was _so_ in love with you.  
His gaze shifted to the ceiling, and he prayed to the stars and the universe.

_Please,_

_let her love me back._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments and kudos are more than appreciated, they are loved and cared for <3 
> 
> Intermezzo, or pre-crescendo?


	24. Not Just Any Bottle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Playing games can be dangerously fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god guys, we reached the sevens! More than 700 comments, 700 kudos, and 7000 views, and it keeps going up! You might not realise it but it makes me so happy, I feel so validated and accepted, it really makes my days better. All those lovely comments and beautiful fanart, I could cry tears of joy! And I have, actually, multiple times. You are just so kind to me, and I could never have imagined any of this. Thank you so much. Thank you. 
> 
> So here's a pretty long chapter. The crescendo is building.  
> I hope you love this one as much as I love it ❤

You awoke in his arms again, and it didn’t even surprise you anymore. 

You were still trying to figure out how to go about with this. Should you get up and make the two of you breakfast, or should you wait for him to wake up? You decided it depended on the situation, and on how tight he was holding onto you: the looser his embrace was, the easier you would be able to get away without waking him up.

This morning you were lucky, or... unlucky? Sure, you wanted to avoid all awkwardness, and right now you could hopefully just go without disturbing him, but this also meant that you had no excuse to lay close to him, to wait a little longer in his warmth and unconscious attention. You let out a soundless sigh and moved away from him, got dressed, and quietly left the room. 

Maybe you should just confess? You got out a skillet, bread, cheese and ham, and started on the first croque-monsieur. Maybe you should just tell him that you liked him? Because this secret admiring thing wasn’t going to work for much longer. You had been able to keep yourself from jumping him but who knew how long it would take for you to give in to your urges? To just fly at him and kiss him like there was no tomorrow? You certainly wanted to.  
Of course there was the voice in the back of your head, saying things like ‘ _but what if he doesn’t like you back? Think about all the awkward situations!_ ’ and of course it was right; if he didn’t like you back then the days you would still have to spend living with him would be torture. You would probably be devastated, going by the reaction of your heart at the thought alone of losing Grillby, and, knowing yourself, that would mean an emotional breakdown, probably accompanied by lots of tears. You didn’t want him to see that. 

You flipped the grilled sandwiches. Maybe you could just make it sound casual, as if you could be friends when he didn’t like you back? And when he said no, you could just go like: ‘ _oh don’t worry, we can still just be friends. I’ll get over it!_ ’. Even though you knew you wouldn’t. Not for a very long time. 

It was strange, but ever since you had been aware of your actual Soul, you had felt it respond to your thoughts and actions. At first you had just thought it to be your heart, but you began to feel a certain, albeit tiny, difference. You couldn’t describe it, but you just... knew. It reacted almost exactly the same as your heart; fluttering when your affection for the fire elemental rose again, contracting painfully at the thoughts of losing him, glowing when he smiled at you. But there was something else, too. Whenever Grillby was near it felt as if your Soul was trying to leave your body, trying to pull itself towards him. Was it attraction in the literal sense of the word? 

You shoved the food on two plates and put the ingredients back into the refrigerator, when you noticed the small tray of strawberries. You took a couple of them, five for him and five for you, and took off their leaves before slicing them in half and arraying them next to the croque sandwiches. It looked rather amateurish, so you started to look for other things to add, to complete the palette of food. A couple of leaves of freshly washed lettuce, half a juicy apple cut into dice, too bad you couldn’t infuse it with magic. Wasn’t there like some powder you could throw over it? But after five minutes of searching you found nothing, and suddenly you panicked. What if he couldn’t even eat normal human food? You knew he couldn’t drink things without it being infused with his magic, but he had never mentioned food. Soup probably worked in the same way as tea, so that was a no go, but what about toasties? Or fruit? Or vedgetables? What if you had to throw away his portion, because you’d forgotten about him being a freaking monster made of magic and all? You were such a horrible friend. 

You let out a sigh. No, you weren’t horrible. You just made a stupid mistake. Everyone makes stupid mistakes, and you could learn from this. You just didn’t want Grillby to do the work every morning and every evening, you wanted to repay him for his kindness, to help around the house. The man was probably tired enough from work. 

 

He watched you stare at the grilled sandwiches as if they were your archenemies, but recognised the distant look in your eyes. You were lost in your thoughts, unaware of the world around you – which had allowed him to silently look at you from the doorway in the first place. It warmed his heart to see how you had made a whole plate full of stuff for him as well. A playful grin spread on his face, as he knew you would jump when he spoke, and made his voice extra loud. 

“Morning!” 

You let out a soft yelp and nearly knocked over one of the plates when you turned around, eyes wide before you relaxed again, your shoulders slumping down. 

“Damn it, Grillby, you scared the hell out of me.” 

“I know.” He let out a short laugh and only answered your glare with a spreading grin, walking over to you to take one of the plates, until he noticed your panicked look. 

“Hm?” 

“Can you eat it? You know, without the magic stuff?” 

“I can, only liquids need to have magic in them before I can drink or eat them.” He gave you a kind smile, honoured at your consideration for his wellbeing. 

With a relieved nod you took your plate as well, and followed him to the living room, where both of you sat down on the couch. He noticed you glance at him expectantly, maybe even nervously from the corner of your eye as he took a bite, but he needed no excuse to let out a pleasantly surprised hum. The food was simple, easily prepared, but it tasted great, and he felt his heart quiver slightly. The idea of you having made him something to eat instead of the other way around, in some way or another it moved him, making everything taste even better.  
And the look on your face was so relieved that he would have kissed you if his mouth hadn’t been stuffed with croque-monsieur. 

 

The morning was easy going, the usual ‘spending time together without saying much’, but this time the reason was different. This time, both of you weren’t saying anything because you were afraid of the effect your words might have.  
Would he lose you?  
Would you lose him?  
Would you avoid him, afraid to look him in the eye?  
Would he stop speaking to you altogether?  
And neither of you was aware of how the other one’s Soul was trying just as desperately to get close. 

 

But soon distraction came when the doorbell sounded.

“That must be Papyrus!” 

You dashed down the stairs and swung open the bar’s back entrance, also known as Grillby’s front door, only to be caught up in a massive hug. 

“HUMAN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE ARRIVED!” He set you down again and gave you a pat on your head before moving to the side a bit, revealing Sans. 

“hey kiddo.” 

You greeted him with a hug as well, slightly startled by the force with which he hugged you back, and followed them upstairs after closing the door behind the three of you. You told them to make themselves comfortable as you went to make tea, and quickly joined them again, only to see Papyrus’ sad expression. 

“Have you heard anything from the stalker?” 

You hadn’t thought the skeleton was able to lower the volume of his voice, and it made your heart contract painfully. Sweet, sweet Papyrus wasn’t supposed to be sad or worried, especially not for you, so you send him the most reassuring smile you could muster. 

“No, but the police is after him. I don’t think it will be long before they catch him, and of course I can always call you to protect me. You’re the Great Papyrus after all.” 

This seemed to brighten him up a bit, and from the corner of your eye you caught Sans’ grateful look. 

“OF COURSE, THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS THE BEST PROTECTOR OF ALL HUMANS _AND_ MONSTERS!” He returned your smile, but turned a bit serious again. “If there’s anything you need, just ask.” 

“Thank you, I really appreciate your concern. But don’t worry too much, Grillby is taking good care of me.” You beamed a grateful smile at the man of fire but returned your gaze to Sans when you heard him chuckle. 

“i bet he is.” 

Definitely an innuendo. 

You rolled your eyes at him but chuckled as well, especially when you noticed the blue growing on Grillby’s cheeks. You were able to keep the colour at bay. Just a few more jokes and innuendos and you would be as good as immune to Sans’ teasing – or at least you hoped you would be. 

For a while the three of you – Grillby just sat and listened – talked about everything and nothing much, and after a while you noticed Sans was starting to act slightly different. Not like that evening, when he had seemed... well, unlike himself. You couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was off about his behaviour, or what it meant, yet you were determined to figure it out. 

The first clue came when the doorbell rang once more and the skeleton’s smile seemed to grow slightly. Under different circumstances you might not have been suspicious, but now you slightly squinted your eyes at him before hurrying off down the stairs. 

You were greeted with a bouquet of peonies and Alphys’ shy smile before Undyne barged in and hugged you _very_ tightly. 

“Hey punk! Is Sans here yet?”

The second clue. 

“Hi guys! Yeah Sans and Papyrus are upstairs, please come in.” 

You took the flowers from Alphys and thanked her, the gesture warmed your heart even though the gift hadn’t been necessary.  
Soon the other two were settled as well, and when Undyne and Sans exchanged a glance you found yourself even more puzzled than before. Something was up – a conspiracy of some sort, and in the back of your mind you were beginning to suspect that the target was you. 

“Is BP coming as well?” You looked at Sans in particular. 

“nah, i think he has to work till five or something. he might come afterwards, tho.” 

Oh shoot of course, poor BP. 

Undyne started to dig through the contents of the bag she had brought with her, a large, toothy grin on her face. “I brought my favourite game. Let me see... there!”

She presented: a bottle. 

You looked at her, frowning. “...A bottle?” 

“Don’t you know the game? It’s in so many films and series, it’s impossible you don’t know about Spin The Bottle!”

No. Fucking. Way. 

 

You heard Sans snort and the conspiracy became clear; it was the same as always. Sans was trying to push you and Grillby together. But how he was exactly going to do it using this game was still a bit vague as the bottle could land on anyone. Maybe you didn’t have much to fear after all. 

Grillby was, as expected, forced by Sans to join. The furniture got pushed to the side to make room for the six of you to sit down in a circle, the bottle placed in the middle, and the _fun_ could begin. 

Papyrus was first to spin, as he was the youngest, and Alphys was the one who would tell him what to do. 

“Hug!” 

So they were starting off innocent, hmm? Or maybe Alphys wasn’t part of the secrecy. But then why did she glance at Sans now and then?  
The bottle landed on Undyne, and after a delighted exclamation (‘IT IS AN HONOUR TO HUG THE HEAD OF THE ROYAL GUARD’) he embraced her with such force you feared her eyes were going to pop out. But Undyne didn’t seem fazed in the slightest. It was now her time to spin, Papyrus giving her the command to ‘have a staring contest’.  
She ended up staring at Sans for four minutes before the rest decided to break it up and call it a tie. Apparently fish didn’t need to blink, and neither did skeletons. 

“Change shirts!” 

Still innocent, but getting riskier, especially if-

Yup, the bottle pointed at you. Good thing you were wearing a bra.  
Sans just took off his jacket and his shirt, a slight blue dusting his cheeks, but you were internally struggling about whether you would turn away first or not. If you didn’t turn around you would most likely embarrass Sans, therefore making his plan backfire on himself, and the thought almost made you grin in advance. You might even seduce Grillby a bit. But if that was what you were going to do, you would basically destroy Papyrus’ innocence, and that just wasn’t worth it. 

So you moved around so that your back was facing the group before taking your shirt off, using it to cover yourself before turning back and taking Sans’ shirt. He granted you the time to turn back around, put on his shirt, and move back so you were covered enough to give him yours. You hadn’t noticed, however, that Grillby, who was sitting next to you, had been able to secretly admire your chest from the side, and neither did you realise he was desperately trying to hold back a blush. 

Under his coat Sans was actually pretty thin, yet your shirt was still a bit too small for his broad shoulders and caused it to show a bit of his spine. The garment you had received was too big, falling loosely around your body. In conclusion: both of you looked absolutely ridiculous. 

But the foxy gleam in his eyes forced you to focus again. It was your turn, and Sans was the one telling you what to do. You could feel the anxious tension rise as his smirk only grew. 

“Kiss on the lips.” 

Your heart sunk right through the floor, but you tried to calm yourself down: there was still a 2 out of 3 chance that the bottle wouldn’t point towards Grillby. Yes, the chances were on your side. You wouldn’t mind giving Papyrus a peck, as he was just so damn adorable. Kissing Undyne would be weird but doable and kissing Alphys would be awkward but kinda cute. Kissing Sans... that could be your revenge. 

Undyne was definitely part of whatever was going on, the looks she gave you and Sans were telling enough. If Sans hadn’t told her about your crush yet last night would probably have been enough, anyway. Oh shit, you needed to spin the bottle. 

With wide eyes you watched the bottle spin and spin, until it slowed down... lost its velocity even more... and stopped. 

It pointed towards Grillby. 

Your stomach twisted in anticipation and blood rose to your cheeks. You didn’t want to do this and yet you did. You wanted to do this _so bad_.  
You locked gazes with the man next to you, a soft indigo weaving its way into his flames. 

Sans noticed your hesitation. “rules are rules, kiddo.” 

Grillby held up his hand, his eyes still focussed on yours. “It’s okay, you don’t need to do th-“ 

But before he could finish his sentence you grabbed his shirt, growled a soft ‘fuck it’, and placed your lips on his – but only for a moment. You then quickly let go of him and scooted back a bit, unable to look him in his eyes. The fluttering creatures in your stomach were going absolutely wild and your face could not get any redder. Ever. 

Sans and Undyne cheered, high-fiving each other with shit-eating grins on their faces. Papyrus seemed unable to figure out how to react. Alphys shot Sans another look but her attention got pulled to the two of you again, and giggled. “I r-really ship it.” 

This earned her a high-five from Undyne as well. 

 

The game continued, and luckily Fate left you alone for a bit, the bottle mainly stopping between Alphys and Undyne. One time Paps had to kiss you on the cheek but, again, you didn’t mind, he was just too cute. He even made a ‘mwuah’ sound as he didn’t have lips to make that signature kissing sound, and you couldn’t help but giggle. 

 

Grillby felt a soft pang of jealousy as the tall skeleton pressed his teeth to your cheek but he tried to control his heart. There was nothing to be jealous over – you had kissed him on the lips after all.  
His body reacted at the thought alone – how your soft lips had tasted so sweet, intoxicating. It had been over way too soon and he felt himself craving for more, craving for your lips and craving for your touch. His stomach twisted _good_. Should he be grateful that Undyne had brought this ‘game’ with her? He kind of was. 

It was his turn, and Undyne was the one telling him what to do – yet he didn’t understand what she meant. 

“What is seven minutes in heaven?” 

Sans was wheezing in the background, slapping himself on the kneecap as he wiped away a tear, Undyne’s suggestion apparently too good for him to handle. 

Alphys was the one that helped the elemental out. “S-seven minutes in heaven i-is like, you will be locked up with the p-person the bottle lands o-on for seven minutes. I-in a closet, most of the time.” 

“and i know the perfect closet.”

You followed Sans’ gaze to a slim door in the hallway, presumably the tiny room containing the fuse box, and your eyes grew wide. 

“There’s no way two people will fit in there, especially not if Grillby needs to go in there with Papyrus!”

Papyrus nodded, beads of sweat starting to form on his skull, and you wondered if he was claustrophobic. 

‘just spin the bottle grillbz, if it really doesn’t fit we’ll find something else.’ And he winked. 

This was suspicious. 

But Grillby spinned it and everyone watched, waited. And then – cheered. Lo and behold, the bottle was pointing to you. 

With a nervous sigh you stood up and offered Grillby your hand. “Well, let’s go see if it fits, then.” 

You helped him to his feet and he nodded a silent thank you before following you to the designated area. Sans and Undyne followed as well, their grins filled with something not unlike victory. 

“We’ll set a timer, don’t worry about it, nerds!” She slapped you on your back and for a moment you lost all air in your lungs – but you didn’t lose all worry. No, you didn’t trust them at all. What if Sans teleported them away while you and him were still in there?

But before you could contemplate your situation further you were shoved into the closet and right up against Grillby, the door pushed shut behind you. 

The space was tiny. You had to place your feet in between Grillby’s for them to be comfortable, your hands placed against his strong chest as your arms were very restricted in movement while his rested on your hips, and to make it even worse most of your body was pressed flush against him. You could feel his heart racing underneath your fingers and hear your own beating in your throat. 

Suddenly his awkward throat-clearing made you look him in his eyes. 

“It fits.” 

You snorted, trying to contain your laughter – but to no avail. You started giggling like crazy, all the tension seeping out of you with every breath you used.  
The situation was so absurd and your laugh was so contagious that he soon lost his composure as well, his voice joining yours as the two of you stood pressed together in the tiniest room ever made.  
Tears started to form in your eyes as you just couldn’t stop, and his laugh resonating through your body only made it worse. It was a downward spiral. 

It took a while for the two of you to calm down, but when you did, the smiles were still plastered to your faces. For the umpteenth time you felt like a teenage schoolgirl – the exact audience this game was made for. 

 

Without a warning you leaned your forehead against his chest and his breath hitched, he was suddenly _very_ aware of your body against his. And this time you noticed.  
You pulled your head back and questioningly looked up at him with those gorgeous eyes, and he still couldn’t breathe. 

“Are you okay?” When he didn’t respond, you tried again. “Claustrophobia?” 

“No, it’s nothing.”

“You don’t need to do this, you know. Especially not if you suffer from something like that.” 

He noticed the genuine worry in your eyes and it took all the self-control in his body to refrain from kissing you. Instead, he smiled. 

“It’s all right. I think we’ve spent at least three or four minutes laughing.” 

“Maybe we can just laugh our way through this.” 

“Unless you want to kiss me again.” He chuckled jokingly, but you fell silent, staring into his eyes. His chuckle faded quickly. “Don’t worry, ___. I was only joking.” 

But when you responded, it wasn’t to his apology. 

“I think I’d like that.” 

 

Your voice had been so soft it felt almost as if he had heard something you hadn’t said at all, as if it had been his subconscious whispering in the back of his mind – but it had been you.  
You wanted to kiss him again. 

His stomach twisted around viciously, heat building in his body as his heart sped up. He was dumbstruck, unable to recover from your words. You wanted to kiss him. You wanted to kiss.  
_Him_. 

You quickly averted your gaze, your voice still soft but the words now coming out hurriedly, each sound an apology on its own. “I-I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said that. I’m – fuck, I ruined it, didn’t I? I just ruined our friendship. I’m so sorry, I-“ 

But he gently cupped your cheek and forced you to look him in his eyes before his own drifted off to your lips and lingered there for a moment. When he found your gaze again your pupils were dilated, and he couldn’t contain himself any longer. He brought his other hand to your face as well and bent forward, closing his eyes as he nearly closed the distance.  
His lips grazed over yours ever so lightly, giving you the chance to pull away. 

You didn’t. 

Instead, you slowly pressed your lips against his, stealing a chaste kiss before breaking the contact again – but it wasn’t enough for him. He wanted, no, he _needed_ more. He gingerly seized your lips again, your taste clouding his mind with want, and you kissed him back as you gained confidence. 

He broke the kiss only to deepen it, one hand falling down to grab your waist and to pull you even tighter against him. Your hands crept up to his shoulders as you searched for something to hold on to, your fingers finding the collar of his white dress shirt and grabbing it tightly. 

 

When you broke apart and took some distance again he felt like you had ripped his heart out and placed it next to yours. It belonged to you now. 

Both your breathing was heavier, your hearts racing and Souls fluttering like crazy. You searched his eyes for anything that could ground you, anything that could pull you out of this dream and back into reality. But you weren’t dreaming – this was real. He had kissed you. _You_. 

You wanted to kiss him again and again, cry tears of joy, hug him until there was no air left in his lungs – but you remembered the others were still outside. 

“The others...” You averted your eyes, aware of the fact that he could see your blush. 

Grillby nodded and cleared his throat before raising his voice. “How many minutes have passed?” 

The door swung open and you almost fell right out, Undyne’s hands on your shoulders the only thing stopping you from tumbling down. Suddenly two of her fingers pinched your lips in duck-formation and she inspected them closely before letting go of you, her booming laugh filling the room. 

“Her lips are swollen, they _definitely_ kissed!” 

You were frozen in a kind of shock, everything going too fast for you to follow. Suddenly two strong skeletal arms pulled you up in a hug. 

“I’M SO GLAD YOU AND GRILLBY ARE TOGETHER, HUMAN!” 

“W-well I uh-“ 

“C-congratulations!”

“I – we – I don’t- “

‘good job kiddo. i told you i could help you.’ 

Your head snapped to the side and you looked him dead in the eye. “ _ **You.**_ ” But Undyne’s strong grasp kept you from attacking. 

“You nerds stayed in there for eleven minutes!” She laughed again. 

You looked at Grillby – his face now bright blue – to search for support, but he was unable to look you in your eyes. You couldn’t blame him. 

“ey grillbz let’s take the party downstairs, it’s ten to four.” 

At this Grillby immediately straightened. He still had a bar and patrons to look after. He quickly put on his bartender vest and swiftly tied his bowtie, and after sending you a last apologetic look he bolted to the end of the hallway and disappeared down the stairs.  
Undyne, Papyrus, and Alphys soon followed, but before Sans could leave as well you caught him by his – your – shirt. 

“H-how did you know the bottle was going to point towards me?” 

“i didn’t know – i made it happen.” With a brow wiggle and a tiny movement of his hand the bottle appeared in the grasp of his phalanges, surrounded by a cerulean glow. “just slowed it down and stopped it at the right moment.”

“You sneaky little-“ 

“language.” He winked, yet it seemed... sad. “but you got what you wanted, right?” 

“Well, I-I guess, yes, but-“ You let out a defeated sigh. He was right, and you kind of needed to thank him for all of this. “But why? Why were you so set on getting me and Grillby together?” 

He sighed but sent you a kind smile. “look, kiddo, Grillby is a good friend of mine – has been for a long time – and he has been through some rough shit. i dunno if he already told you. but when i found out that you were pretty into him i hoped - “ He made a vague gesture towards you. “and i knew _he_ liked _you_ a lot. so –“ 

“Wait, wait, wait. Since when did you know he liked me back?” 

“i suspected it when you explained how you got to the bar, but i knew for sure the second i heard him talk to you. anyway, grillbz deserves to be loved, and the more i got to know you and the more i heard him talk to you, the more i was convinced that you were the right person for that.” He averted his eyes for a moment, and took in a deep breath. “i think you deserve to be loved as well, and i think grillbz here will be your perfect match. the two of you deserve each other.”

You blushed at his kind words, not really able to say anything, yet you still worried. What if you hurt him? What if you were not that perfect for him after all?

But Sans’ smile only grew at the sight of your growing anxiety. “don’t worry, kiddo. i’ll repeat all of this at your wedding.” 

If you had been drinking anything you would have spit out the beverage and nearly choked to death, but you weren’t, so there was nothing you could do but grow a brighter blush and stare at the monster in front of you. 

“oh, and here’s your shirt. i’ll come and pick up mine tomorrow. You gonna join the party downstairs?” 

You took the garment from him. “Eh n-no, I think it’s better if I stay here, BP might still come over.” 

He knew your new relationship was, in your mind, still fragile, and respected your actual reasons for not going to the bar. “ok, see you later kiddo.” 

“Sans wait- “ He turned around, and you sent him a glance filled with the sincerest gratitude. “Thank you. For everything.” 

He nodded, smile faltering for a fraction of a second – and disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading!  
> Comments keep me doing my thing, kudos remind me of how grateful I should be for all of you ❤
> 
> What's the plural of 'croque-monsieur' in English? Is it the French 'croque-messieurs'? Or the weird-looking 'croque-monsieurs'? I avoided it while writing but I'm actually really curious haha ;P
> 
> I love every single one of you.


	25. A Last Visit for the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which BP comes over, and you tell him the... news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even more amazing fanart! Look at this cuteness!  
> http://feelingwonderfultoday.tumblr.com/post/149359122584/scarlet-sketches-blushes-loudlyuh-this-is  
> Aaaaa I love it so much, thank you Exlimixia for such wonderful art! ❤
> 
> Please feel free to make fanart of whatever you like! I will love you forever, no matter if it's self-insert or anonymous aaaa ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

BP arrived not much later, giving you a soft punch against the shoulder when you opened the door. 

“Good to see you too?” 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” 

Oh, right. You had only told BP that you didn’t feel well, not that you were being stalked. You immediately felt bad for keeping him in the dark, he was your friend after all – but you realised this was the exact reason why you _hadn’t_ told him. Stepping aside to let him in you tried to formulate what sounded like a lame excuse. 

“I didn’t want you to worry, you’ve got enough going on – especially now you’re back to being Mettaton’s employee, you know?” 

As he ascended the stairs he threw you a gaze that you easily translated to ‘are you fucking kidding me’, and you let out a sigh. “I know, I know, I shouldn’t have lied, I-“ 

“You can tell me anything, that’s what friends are for!” He rubbed his paw over his face, and it was his turn to sigh. He shook off his coat and walked to the living room. “Damn it buddy, I nearly got a heart attack when I heard what was going on.” He sat down on one end of the couch, you sat down on the other. “What if that guy had casually strolled into the shop and sneakily asked questions about you? I could have told him anything!” 

You didn’t know how to react. He was right, anyone who knew you but knew nothing about your situation could have told your stalker personal information. Not that BP knew that much about you, but still. 

“I... hadn’t thought about that...” 

You felt horrible, but there was no changing what you had and hadn’t done. Burgerpants seemed to come to the same conclusion and let out another soft sigh. 

“I’m just glad you’re all right, okay? And next time you better tell me so I can smack his head against a brick wall.” 

 

You served tea and the conversation continued for a while, until you suddenly remembered, if not only now realised it – Grillby had kissed you. You began gesturing erratically for BP to stop ranting about Mettaton and he fell silent, eyeing you with a frown on his feline face. 

“What?” 

“Something happened.” You tried to hide your excitement. 

He stared at you for a moment, trying to guess what that ‘something’ might be, but gave up after a couple of seconds. “All right, I have no idea. What happened?” 

“We kissed.” 

His frown only deepened. “...I can’t remember we did? Sorry bud, but I think you’re a little confus-“

You let out a laugh, your heart filled with giddiness as you remembered everything that happened less than an hour ago. “No, not us! Grillby! Grillby and I!” 

“Grillby...” It took him a second but then it clicked, and his eyes grew wide. “No way! Holy shit, fuck. I wanted to be there. Tell me everything.” 

You told him how Undyne had brought a game called ‘spin the bottle’ (BP snorted) and how it had started off innocent – but she and Sans had been planning shit together all along, and you had been semi-forced to give Grillby a kiss on the lips. BP, thinking that was all, groaned in disappointment. 

“I thought you had a hot makeout session or something! Sure, you gave him a peck, and I bet he loved it, but that’s nothing!” He threw his arms up in the air and slumped back against the armrest. “A freaking game. I thought Sans could do better.” 

“Wait – you were in it too?” 

“Somewhat, yeah. Didn’t know about the game but we had been discussing some techniques to get you two together behind your back. Mostly just texting ideas back and forth.” He waved it off, casually, face slightly bored.

“You are unbelievable.” You gave him a soft slap against his knee, the only thing close enough for you to hit, but your smile had grown only wider.

“Anyway. What now, then? You kissed him. You’re both still single. Or did he proclaim his undying love for you? – Or even better, did he nearly jump you right on the spot?” 

“No! BP, _jeez_.” Your face had grown a significant shade of red. “Just let me finish the story.” 

“Unless you two had a hot makeout session I don’t want to hear it.” He looked at you, bored, and you glared at him, a meaningful silence filling the space between the two of you. His eyes grew wide again. “No fucking way!” He shot up from his lazy position, giving you his undivided attention. 

You cleared your throat. “As I was telling,” you sent him a blaming glance from the corner of your eye, “that was when things got less innocent. To cut a long story short, Sans secretly used his magic to move the bottle and Grillby and I ended up in the tiniest closet ever.” You pointed at said closet, and BP snorted in disbelief.

“That one? No fucking way you two fit in there!” 

“Well, it fit. Sort of.” You awkwardly rubbed the back of your neck as every emotion and sensation from that moment came flooding back, and it wasn’t helping your blush. “We laughed it off at first, and Grillby joked that we could keep laughing for the remaining minutes we had to spend in there – unless I wanted to kiss him again – “ BP’s mouth fell slightly open, “and... IkindasaidIwouldlikethat.” You quickly covered your red face with your hands, butterflies stirring in your stomach. 

“And he kissed you! Fuck, that’s hot. I guess Sans didn’t disappoint me after all.” He let out a laugh, disbelief still in his voice. “Didn’t think you’d ever say anything like that, though! God, you keep surprising me. First you fall in love with a monster – a fire elemental at that – and now you actually asked him to kiss you. And he did.” He shook his head, still smiling like an idiot. “Congratulations, you’re not single anymore!” 

You laughed, still covering your face and still very nervous – and that nervousness only increased when you realised you _lived_ with Grillby and _shared his bed_ with him. Even if you fell asleep before he returned from the bar, which you desperately hoped, you would still have to face him in the morning. 

“You all right, buddy? You suddenly went really quiet just now.” 

You looked him in his eyes, his filled with slight worry and yours filled with _a lot_ of worry, though of a different kind. 

“I live with him. I live with the guy I just made out with in his own closet.” 

“...That’s good right? Sure, it might be a bit fast for most relationships, as far as I know anything about them, but isn’t it what people do after a while? Live together?” 

“No, no, you don’t understand. Most people only start living together after being in a relationship for _months_ , and we only kissed, like, and _hour_ ago! People go on dates, but then go back home again to give it time, you know? Makes it less awkward as well. And I have to share his bed with him tonight – not the double meaning kinda thing.” You shivered, both butterflies and anxiety twisting in your stomach. 

“Well, maybe it _will_ be the double meaning kinda thing~” He wiggled his eyebrows and grinned wider than you’d thought possible, just like your blush deepened further than you’d thought possible. 

“Oh shut up, you.” 

“Wouldn’t be surprised, you’ve both been sexually frustrated since you met.” 

“How would you know?” You let out a forced chuckle, afraid that your frustration had been visible.

“Sans told me everything that happened. That poor man must have been near jumping you every time you came over!” 

“Pfff, sure. I didn’t even know he liked me back!” 

“Like you said, he’s a gentleman. Those are good at hiding their urges when it’s inappropriate. But now that it’s allowed, oh boy~” He smirked so wide you thought his face was going to split in two.

You quickly tried to change the subject. “I never thought we could be... a thing, you know? Since I’m human and all and he was there during the war between the races, and stuff?” 

“Well I never thought a human could fall in love with a monster, so there’s that. You guys are picky as fuck. When I was working today I heard two women talk about what they looked for in a man, and next was a group of guys bantering about the perfect woman. They all started like ‘attractive, funny, brown eyes-‘ and then another one goes ‘no, no, no, blue eyes!’ followed by all of them listing books full of personality traits – I don’t think I’ve ever heard that many adjectives on one day.” And BP was back to ranting about his work, the customers, and, of course, his boss. 

Suddenly he realised you had changed the subject. “Whoa, whoa, I see what you did there. We were not done discussing this yet!” He smirked at your falling expression.

“BP, I-“ 

“Nope. There’s no way out of this. But seriously, you hadn’t noticed he liked you back? Men are obvious! Even gentlemen.” 

“I- I... I don’t... How should I know? He didn’t see I was into him either, and even Muffet knew that after only a couple of _seconds_.” 

“So he didn’t look at you from the corner of his eyes?” 

“I don’t – well, maybe, I think I noticed it once or twice, but- “

“Did he glance at your lips? Look at somewhere else than your eyes?” 

“Well I kinda pulled off my shirt in front of him so that wouldn’t really be-“ 

“Wait what?” He burst out laughing. 

“I was half asleep okay!” You chuckled. “He looked so shocked though.” 

“Nah, he was just really into what Mother Nature gave you.” 

You both burst out laughing, and finally BP let the subject rest. You were glad he was here. Without him around you would have spiralled down endlessly into anxiety-inducing thoughts, you wouldn’t have been able to do anything but to wait restlessly for Grillby to come back, maybe try to fall asleep. You knew your mind would keep you awake, however. What would you do, anyway? Lay in bed and wait for him to join you, act as if you were sleeping? Would he see through your attempt to avoid talking to him? Luckily BP swept you up in another conversation and kept you from thinking about Grillby for a while. He was the perfect distraction.

 

Somewhere around seven you made the two of you some dinner, which you ate in front of the TV while watching one of BP’s favourite films, and time flew by without either of you noticing. Another film, and yet another two hours gone without a warning. 

It was quarter to twelve when he realised he had to work tomorrow. 

“Fuck, I gotta go. Thanks for tonight, I had a lot of fun.” He grabbed his coat and you followed him down the stairs, hoping that Grillby wouldn’t be in the back but behind the bar. It seemed you were lucky. You opened the door for him, smiling as you stepped aside. “I guess I’ll see you Sunday, if not earlier.” 

“Definitely earlier.” He smiled softly. “I’m glad you’re okay.” 

You nodded and gave him a grin in return. “More than okay, even.” 

His lips pulled up in a sly smirk as well, giving you a harsh but friendly pat on the shoulder. “Well, _have fun_ tonight, buddy. Next time I come visit you better tell me if he was any good!” 

And he disappeared down the alley, cackling like a maniac. 

 

Grillby finished up cleaning.

He had ignored the group’s comments, even though he hadn’t been able to hide either his blush or his smile, but after feeding them some strong alcohol they had reverted to laughing without being able to utter a word and his night had been mostly peaceful again.  
Papyrus and Alphys, the only two still sober in the entire bar, took the others home before they could poison themselves any further, and it wasn’t much longer before the place had become completely abandoned for the night.  
And it was only half past eleven. 

So he had closed up, cleaned the tables, swept the floor and put the dishes in the dishwasher – all while thinking about you.  
You haunted – no, you _claimed_ his thoughts, not allowing him to think about anything or anyone else. Your lips, your taste, your hands on his chest.

_I think I’d like that_

His stomach tried to turn itself inside out. Your words resonated through his head like an echo he just couldn’t get rid of – one he didn’t _want_ to get rid of. 

How was he going to talk to you again? It all felt so strange to him. You were both adults and yet he couldn’t help but feel like an anxious teenager, stuttering in the face of his crush. Was he allowed to kiss you now? Was he allowed to consciously wrap his arms around your body when you lay in his bed tonight, and would you allow him to pull you closer when the two of you were watching telly on the couch?  
Was he supposed to ask you all this?

It bugged him a little that he didn’t know the proper ways to court a lady. What kind of gentleman was he, then? He didn’t even know the monster way of going about dating, let alone the human style; if anything like that existed at all. He could Google it, of course, but after his little... _slip up_ from two days ago he honestly didn’t dare to anymore. The only thing he knew about dating came from books that were at least decades old, and who knew how outdated those techniques were. Maybe there were romantic films that could teach him? But then he would have to go back to the library, and a shiver went down his spine. No, it was best if he stayed away from that place for a while. 

He put the spotless glass back into the cupboard and called it a night. 

He moved upstairs as quietly as possible, assuming you were already asleep and therefore trying not to wake you, and to his relief not one of the steps groaned or croaked underneath his feet. Even the door stayed quiet as he entered his apartment, the only sound coming from the lock as it softly clicked shut. He took off his shoes and hung his bartender vest over a chair next to the coat rack, undid his bowtie, and unbuttoned his dress shirt while softly moving towards the living room. 

But before he even reached the end of the hallway you stepped out of the bedroom, dropping your nightgown over your hips as the soft light seeping through the curtains cast you in an ethereal glow. He froze on the spot. Then you turned around, and froze as well. 

Time seemed to stand still as your gazes locked.

What was he to do?

Did you need to say anything?

Should he greet you?

Oh god, his shirt is unbuttoned – fuck that’s hot.

He noticed your quick glance to his chest, how your eyes moved to his lips and lingered there before they met his again, a soft blush creeping on your cheeks. How had he been so oblivious to your feelings? How had he been able to ignore all the shades your face had flushed, and how had he been able to think nothing of the looks your eyes had held?  
How long had you liked him?  
You stood frozen still, like a deer caught in the headlights of a car, stunned into a motionless position; but his body started to move before he could think. It was a confident stride for a hesitant mind. Would you allow him?  
There was only one way to find out. 

When he strode over to you your heart fluttered, skipping multiple beats, yet you were nailed to the ground. You looked up at him, bodies only inches apart, and searched his eyes for anything that would tell you what to do. Should you speak? 

“Grillby-“ 

He brought his hand up to softly cup your cheek, his thumb brushing over your skin, and it tingled under his touch. It tingled in anticipation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments keep me writing more bonding between characters, kudos ease BP's suffering! ❤
> 
> The next chapter, which all of you know will be smut, is skippable uwu


	26. Midnight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which love overflows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise to all asexuals.

Your eyes fluttered closed as you leaned into his touch, feeling the warm caress of his flames – it left you breathless. His forehead gingerly bumped yours and you lifted your chin ever so lightly, allowing his lips to brush over your own. It was careful, hesitant, but gained confidence as he felt your fingers wrap themselves around the hems of his unbuttoned shirt, pulling him slightly closer so your lips pressed more firmly against each other. 

His free hand moved down over your side and to the small of your back, enabling him to pull you flush against him so he could deepen the kiss.  
He claimed your lips like you had claimed his thoughts before, leaving only short moments to breathe. Your taste and your smell, your fingers slowly moving up his chest and to his neck - it drove him mad, filled his head with delirious want and clouded his reasonable thinking. He nearly lost himself to animal instinct when you pressed yourself even more firmly against him.  
He broke the kiss and tried to calm his lungs before speaking, but his voice still sounded rough as he breathed the words against your skin. 

“Permission to undress you.” 

He could feel your smile as your lips moved over his cheek, and your answer, spoken with a voice deep from arousal, was all he needed. 

“Permission granted.” 

He placed kisses below your ear and down to your shoulder, and you tilted your head to give him full access to every inch of skin. His hands slid down to your thighs but the hem of your nightgown was out of his reach, so he gently tugged at the fabric. You reached down, handed him the edge of the dress before moving your arms up, making it easier for him to slide the garment up and to pull it over your head.

He threw it to the side in a single movement that struck you as elegant, but before you could even smile at that thought he had seized your lips again. Hands exploring skin he let his fingers glide over your curves, slowly, as if drawing a mental map of every valley, every hill, every impurity. 

A sudden rush of anxiety washed over you. What if he didn’t like what he saw? What if you weren’t pretty enough? Did he like skinny girls or voluptuous ones? What if- 

But your thoughts were cut short as his hands left your body. He moved away, slowly setting a step back as he let his eyes wander over you with a look that could easily be described as predatory, dark, _ravenous_. 

 

He looked at you like he had never dared before, absorbing every detail like it was the air he needed to breathe. _God_ you were beautiful. The moonlight illuminated you, wrapped itself around you like a dream, and the way you looked at him with that shy smile on your lips and your pupils dilated with lust – it felt as if his Soul tried to rip itself from his chest. And maybe that was exactly what it was trying to do – but even though he was ready to bond himself to you he was unsure of your own feelings towards it, and he would respect your decision to take it slow. 

It felt like he was out of this reality; one slap, one pinch was all it would take for him to wake up. But you were really here, standing in front of him, and you were his to touch, to kiss, to _fuck_ -  
He quickly pulled his shirt down his arms and let it fall to the ground, surprised to feel that he could still blush in times like this.  
What surprised him more, however, was how you nearly closed the distance between your bodies again, hands sliding down his sides until they reached his belt, which they then swiftly undid. A button and a zipper later and his pants fell to the ground in an almost awkward way, but none took notice as you were both caught in a heated kiss again.

You softly took his lip between your teeth and tugged gently but his mouth took yours again before you could continue your attempt to be sexy – and apparently it had worked. His mouth moved on yours with such passion you needed to grab a hold of his shoulders, and you secretly thanked sappy television romances for that move as his tongue explored your mouth, his taste sending you into sensory overload. You needed him, _now_.

You pressed yourself against him again, trying to convey your need without words; and as you felt something further down press back at you, you knew you weren’t the only one. You hand moved down over his hip and stomach, but before it reached its destination he caught your wrist and broke the kiss – a deep, almost animal-like growl escaping his throat and sending another wave to pool in your nether regions. 

And before your mind even registered what happened he had swept you off of your feet and held you against him bridal style, carrying you into the bedroom where he lay you down on the sheets and hovered over you, his knees beside your thighs and his hands beside your head. 

Your laboured breathing couldn’t raise your chest high enough to touch his, urging you to arch your back and to try and press yourself against him. You needed his skin on yours, his hands on your body, and he knew – he needed the same. 

While keeping himself up on one hand he moved the other over your back, his fingers tracing your spine as he kept you close. You bucked your hips against his to feel him, needing him closer than just _against_ you. 

 

He definitely noticed your urgent need for things to speed up, but he had other plans – and he knew very well how deliciously torturous it would be for the both of you. He moved his lips to your neck and bucked his hips against yours, increasing the friction tenfold and eliciting a sweat moan from your mouth. The sound alone was nearly enough to send him over the edge as the thought of being able to please you sent a pleasurable shiver down his spine. He took pride in it, and he wanted – no, he _craved_ the sounds you made.

He was determined to make you scream out his name in ecstasy.

 

The first obstacle his free hand found was the clasp of your bra, and he felt a bit silly for not being able to unclasp it; but you quickly reached for your back and undid the piece of plastic he had been awkwardly fumbling with. He quickly kissed the grin of your face even though his lips were pulled in a smirk of his own, and his hand roamed to untouched terrain. 

He cupped your breast, moving over it with his hand. The sensation was new to him, much like the rest of this, yet he found himself greatly enjoying it – especially when he felt you press yourself further into his touch, a soft whimper falling from your lips.  
Suddenly curious as to how loud you could get from this alone he moved his tongue down your throat, over your collarbone, and to the space between your breasts when he heard you nearly gasp, your hand moving to the back of his head to keep him where he was. But that hadn’t been his destination. 

He moved his lips over one of your nipples and you bucked your hips against his again, trying to make as much contact there as possible, and when his tongue traced lazy circles around it a second moan escaped you, louder than the first and even more effective in stirring the butterflies in his stomach. He needed you louder.

As he sucked and played with your nipples his free hand snaked down to the second obstacle. His fingers soon found their way underneath and further down – and even he, a creature made of fire, could feel your temperature rise there.  
A tiny, harmless sizzle when his fingertips reached their goal surprised him, so he moved them further between your folds only to find that, yes, it was indeed wet down there. And not just a tiny bit, either. 

“Grillb- Grillby, pl- ah!” 

He growled against your skin, his arousal getting dangerously prominent, but he kept going and found the spot that had caused you to moan his name. He moved his index finger there in slow, smooth circles; listening to how your breathing got more and more erratic. He picked up to speed and felt you begin to shake lightly – and then stopped altogether, keeping you from getting anywhere near the edge. 

You let out a frustrated groan as you tried to keep your legs from trembling, only for the sound to be swallowed in another tongue-mingling kiss. The air was thick with arousal, and the sweet scent of sex only grew as Grillby slowly moved his fingers in strokes between your slick folds, the wet sounds weirdly turning both of you on. 

He breathed against your neck as it became harder and harder to contain himself. His underwear felt constricting, not stretching far enough to be comfortable. To distract himself he suddenly inserted a finger into you, granting him a surprised squeak and a slightly higher-pitched whimper. He chuckled against your throat, and to his absolute delight you let out a breathy giggle as well. He was so in love with you. 

When he pushed himself a bit further up he met your gaze and he could feel his heart contract pleasurably at what he saw: your face was flushed both from your risen temperature and from slight shyness, and your eyes were sparkling with admiration and desire. Your lips, red and swollen, were stretched into a smile that could break and mend a man’s Soul at the same time, and your skin shone as if decorated with a thousand miniature pearls – but this was nothing yet. He was going to make the sweat run down your face in streams as he _fucked_ your _brains_ out-  
Shit, he couldn’t contain himself much longer. 

And as if his eyes had betrayed him your smile turned into a sly grin, and before he knew it your hand had found its way to his boxer shorts. His breath hitched when your fingers slid inside and stumbled upon his tip, only to brush over it and move further down. But before you could do any real damage he slid a second finger inside of you, earning another gasp.  
But his plan backfired. 

As soon as the overwhelming sensation of his harmless flames licking at your walls had slightly subdued you took your revenge: you wrapped your hand firmly around his cock and gave it a soft squeeze, causing Grillby’s whole body to tremble and his supporting arm to turn to jelly – and he nearly fell right on top of you if it hadn’t been for your other hand pushing up against his chest. A loud moan erupted from his throat and he rested his forehead against your shoulder to get himself together again. You felt powerful, and it was great. 

He let out a soft, huffed laugh, and you knew – this wasn’t over yet. Your stomach turned and your eyes grew wide as you felt him slowly pull out his fingers, knowing exactly what he was going to do. And you were right.  
He pushed them back in with such speed the squelching sound was almost of absurd volume – just like your surprised squeal. He pumped in and out of you, slow but gaining enough speed that you couldn’t keep your eyes open even if you wanted to, the sound of your voice mingled with your panting. His thumb then started to rub your clit viciously and you let out a long, high-pitched moan as you were nearly about to come – and he stopped. He pulled his fingers out of you and out of your panties, before moving himself back. 

Was he going to do what you thought he was going to do? 

He slid your drenched knickers down your legs and threw them to the side, and you propped yourself up on your elbows to watch him with disbelief.

“Grillby, you don’t need to-“ 

And his tongue made contact, eliciting another moan from your throat. It seemed like he wasn’t going to let you finish a damn sentence tonight. 

He moved slowly at first, sucking on the inside of your thigh and on your folds before tracing circles around, and occasionally over, the sensitive bud he had learned to attack. You threw back your head in pure pleasure, more vocal than you had ever imagined you would be – but it still wasn’t enough for the fire elemental. 

He dipped his tongue into your entrance and listened closely to every sound you made, giving an almost vicious suck on your clit whenever you tried t hold back another whimper, causing you to yelp loudly. 

He stopped devouring your nether regions and moved back up again, licking his lips before kissing his way back up to you. To your belly, dipping his tongue into your belly button, over your chest, a quick detour to both nipples, and to the base of your throat, where he gently bit down in the soft, vulnerable flesh, and felt your loud moan resonate against his lips.  
The bite mark was sure to leave your skin bruised but he only felt a weird sort of pride at that. He had claimed you. You were his, and everyone was allowed to see. 

 

Now that he was back within your reach again you decided it was time to take revenge. You pushed him back into a sitting position and followed him up, and although surprised and slightly suspicious of your playful grin, he let you. What he hadn’t expected was for you to push him down so that _you_ were the one hovering over _him_ this time, and he was now at your mercy. Not that you were going to show him any. 

You moved down and removed his underwear with a swift movement, mimicking what he had done earlier and making sure he realised it by maintaining constant eye contact. By the look on his face you could tell he knew exactly what was coming for him.  
when you broke your gaze loose from his to look down you couldn’t help but let out a short gasp. You slowly moved a finger up his shaft, an almost shocked look on your face. Was he ever going to fit?  
The butterflies in your stomach tried to tear you apart from the inside at the thought of him filling you, stretching you, but you quickly pushed those thoughts away – there was time enough for that later. For now you had to focus on what was in front of you, and good Gods was it more than a handful. 

Grillby was shaking lightly, his hands clenched into fists as he felt you move your fingers slowly up, down, and around. It was gentle at first, curious, exploring, like he had explored every inch of your body before, and he would have watched it with fondness – if it hadn’t been for his eyes fluttering shut with every stroke. 

As you gained more confidence you began to experiment, trying different patterns and techniques while closely watching Grillby’s reaction, until you knew what fucked him up the most. Your fingertips swirled over his tip while the other hand gave a sudden pull on his base – and for a second you thought he was going to come. He threw his head back with a fierce roar of pleasure, his flames dancing erratically and shooting up higher than they had already been, and his blue blush growing brighter. But he didn’t, and as he met your gaze again you could see he was near to being desperate. 

You grinned evilly, bending down to place a kiss on top of him and noticing very well how his body lost all tension for a second, only for him to start trembling worse than before. His hands grabbed the sheets like it was the last thing keeping him alive but you kept him away from the edge, like he had done to you.  
Your tongue moved ever so slowly, ever so sensually over his hot member, his moans growing longer and more troubled as even his laboured breathing wasn’t able to provide him with enough oxygen. But you weren’t quite done yet. 

You moved back up and straddled his hips; loose enough for you to freely move yet tight enough to keep him still. You slowly moved your folds over his shaft, your hands gliding over his chest, but didn’t allow him to enter before you slid back down, only to repeat the process. You made sure to put enough pressure on your movements to create an insane amount of friction – but this was a two-way tease. Every time you slid back down his throbbing cock moved over your clit, sending soft spasms down your legs that you desperately tried to hide. If he found out that you were just as vulnerable, he could - 

His hands grabbed your hips at the right moment and pushed you further down on him, his tip pressing firmly against your clit. You let out a loud cry of pleasure and shot him a glance, only to see his large grin and the playful gleam in his eyes. He knew very damn well this was just as much torture for you as it was for him. 

He pushed himself upright so you sat on his lap, one hand snaking behind your back as the other found its way to that sensitive spot. He seized your mouth and began rubbing you viciously, making you cry out against his lips. You quickly grabbed his shaft, desperate to have at least a little bit of power over him, but compared to his it was next to nothing.  
Whenever you tried to get him back by giving him a pull or a squeeze he would only increase the speed and pressure even more, preventing you from doing anything but tremble in his arms and cry out against his skin. 

Your face was red-hot, your eyes closed, and your voice resonated through the room. And you were beautiful. Your skin tasted so sweet he wanted to sink his teeth into you again, and he did – leaving another mark, this time on your shoulder. 

Sweat had started to form large droplets on your forehead but it wasn’t streaming down yet – but he knew just what you needed.  
He was as hard as he could possibly get – he had been for a long time – and he wasn’t sure if you could get any wetter, but he knew, he just knew you still had that loudest outcry hidden in your lungs. And he was going to fuck it out of you. 

He pulled back his hand and momentarily granted you power, but before you could even start on making him pay he placed his strong hands on your behind and lifted you onto your knees. Your surprised glance met his loving, determined look, and you knew – and nodded. 

You positioned yourself over him, hands on his shoulders and forehead leaning against his chest, and you slowly sank. 

You let out a soft yelp as his tip touched your entrance and shot back up a bit before lowering yourself down again, this time prepared for the sensation. The man of fire kissed your shoulder and neck in between moans as he filled you, inch for slow inch, and your breath hitched more than once as your walls clenched around him. He was incredibly big and stretched you to the point it was almost painful instead of pleasurable. Almost. 

The feeling of him throbbing inside of you made you a whimpering mess, uttering soft praise like an ever flowing river of words. He filled you completely, and even Grillby couldn’t help but stutter a ‘ _F-fuck_ ’. 

You sat there for a moment, grabbing onto Grillby’s back and pressing your chest against his with his member locked into you. He held you into his embrace, his fingers holding onto your shoulders as if it was deadly to let go. The both of you tried to adapt to the overload of sensations, panting heavily against each other’s skin, lips soon finding each other in a breathy kiss. 

 

You couldn’t do much yet as the feeling of his flames moving inside of you left you completely overwhelmed, and you feared that, if you started moving up and down now, you would lose consciousness in sheer pleasure. So you started with slowly, very slowly rolling your hips, trying not to moan too loudly as even this felt like it was too much for your senses, and gradually you began to get used to the feeling. He watched you intensely through half-lidded eyes, a deep blush on his face. 

Slowly you began to move, at first nearly unable to because of the exploding pleasure that blocked out any thoughts or any other feelings from your mind, but you pulled on until it was only the tip that was still left inside of you. Grillby was the one flooding you with softly muttered compliments now, his low, raspy voice the darkest it had ever been. His fingers dug into your back and yours in his, holding each other like clawed animals, but neither cared. The only thing that existed now was the sensation of your interlocking bodies. 

With the little speed you had you weren’t able to let him go back in completely before you needed to pull back up again or it would become too much – but Grillby didn’t quite agree. He let you move carefully and at your own pace for a while until he needed more than you gave him, he needed every inch of him inside of you again.  
He let out a dark chuckle and slowly lowered you back on the sheets, kissing you as he pushed his whole length back into you. He swallowed your cry and deepened the kiss, pulling back out for a second time. And a third. 

He slowly began picking up speed, moving in and out of you faster, faster, and even faster until he was pumping in and out of you at incredible speed. Your cries filled the air and your nails ran along his shoulders, sending shivers down his spine, and he kept going, pounding into you almost violently. His free hand attacked your clit and your body shot up to stay in a constant arch, your legs trembling and your voice sending him into a state of delirious passion. His mouth moved from your lips to your throat, over his bite mark and down until his tongue found your nipple. He showed you no mercy. 

You screamed out, colours dancing in front of your closed eyes. Tension built up in your body like never before, coiling into knots and springs and tightening almost painfully as he pushed his cock in and out of you with such force and speed you couldn’t do anything but surrender to the sensation, surrender every inch of your body to your skillful lover. 

Suddenly the world exploded around you. Supernovas filled your head as you screamed his name on the top of your lungs, sending him down the same abyss of otherworldly pleasure. He twitched inside of you and groaned your name loudly as he filled you with his hot liquid, his finger pinching your clit while he rode out your orgasm.

You pulled his trembling body against your own and he kissed you, kissed your whole face and neck in utter adoration, causing you to giggle softly, breathily, and he chuckled against your skin in response while he kept holding you in a tight embrace. 

He slid out of you and let himself fall on the sheets next to you, rolling onto his back, his shoulder touching yours. There he stayed a while, panting heavily. 

When both of your breathing had slowed down to a more comfortable pace he shifted his gaze from the ceiling to you, letting his eyes glide over your face and body. 

Your eyes were closed, a blissful smile tugging at your lips. Your chest moved up and down at a still slightly laboured speed, the soft skin of your breasts covered in droplets of sweat that reflected the light of his flames in a way it almost seemed as if you, too, were made of fire. Oh he had made it stream, all right. The way you had cried out his name had sent him over the edge and it still made his heart contract when he thought about it. He loved you. He loved every smile, every touch, every moment his eyes were fixed on you. 

The way the moonlight caressed your skin against the backdrop of the dark room was like a dream to him, _you_ were like a dream to him – yet he was still wide awake, lying right beside you. He had never, not even once, felt so captured as you had made him feel. 

 

You moved your head and met his gaze. His look made your heart flutter – or was it your Soul?  
He took you in his arms and you leaned against him, pressed your body against his to try and keep hold of that peaceful bliss that you felt. Your whole body tingled, muscles tired but at ease. His warmth was not needed to soothe them as your body was hot enough on its own but it was more than welcome, his bite marks softly pulsating as your skin was beginning to turn gentle blues. 

Oh God you were going to be sore tomorrow.

 

When you felt like you could finally move again you gave Grillby a kiss and moved away to step off of the bed, smiling at the confused look he gave you. 

“I’m just going to take a quick shower, I’m all sweaty and... eh... sticky.” 

He chuckled. “Sadly I can’t join you.” 

You giggled at that and sent him another loving look before disappearing through the door. 

A quick shower and some thorough towel drying later you returned to the bedroom, joining Grillby under the sheets and snuggling against him. He held you tight and kissed your forehead, his smile noticeable when his lips met your skin. You closed your eyes, listening to his breathing and letting your consciousness slip away.  
You drifted off into serene dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments keep me improving my smut, kudos keep me writing it 8D
> 
> So yeah, you got to the part where this turned into fuckfiction. Please let me know if it was any good, I'm so awkward with writing smut u don't even know ;-;  
> Oh and please tell me if you see any typos! I'd hate for them to be left in.


	27. Together at Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which important things are talked about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god. This fic is going to reach the 800 kudos, isn't it? O-O Holy shit I'm so excited aaa
> 
> And look! Even more amazingly beautiful fanart! You guys make me so fucking happy ♡♡♡♡  
> http://feelingwonderfultoday.tumblr.com/post/149433294814/bllueart-it-was-feelingwonderfultodays-head  
> Look at those colours, the cute scene! It's amazing, thank you Bllueart for this beautiful fanart! ♡
> 
> I hope to upload another chapter this Sunday or Monday, because after then I'll be gone for a week or maybe even longer. School is gonna start pretty soon, but don't worry! I'll write this fic all the way till the end. Which is coming. ;-; 
> 
> Okay so this chapter might be a bit weird, but I'll explain at the end. I still hope you enjoy it, though!

It was strange at first, but once you realised where you were and what had happened you actually really liked it – waking up in the arms of a naked man. Well, this particular naked man, of course. You didn’t have to bend and twist to get out of his grasp only because you were afraid to lose your friendship, no need to nearly fall off the bed to dash for the bathroom, and no awkward tension coiling in your stomach – only a gentle warmth. 

“Good morning.” 

His voice startled you a bit, but as soon as you met his gaze a sleepy smile spread on your face. 

“G’mornin’.” 

He brushed a stand of hair to the side, the flames of his finger tickling slightly against your skin, and he looked at you so fondly you felt your heart swell beyond imagination. It felt good to be loved. 

You snuggled closer and lay in his embrace for a little longer; eyes closed, foreheads touching, his hand rubbing soft circles on your bare back, before the beams of light shining through the curtain grew too bright for your body to keep ignoring them. 

“We should get dressed.” 

He pulled you tighter against him. “We don’t have to.” 

You chuckled against his shoulder, hugging him tight before letting go altogether. “We can’t stay in bed all day.”

But his reply was a sleepy ‘yes we can’ as he nuzzled his face further into your neck and placed kisses on every piece of skin he found there, still refusing to let go. He inhaled your smell with deep breaths, letting the fingers of one hand trace your side. He could easily get used to waking up like this. 

“Grillby-“ 

He wrapped his arms firmly around you in form of protest. 

“Grillby.” You had difficulty keeping the grin out of your voice.

“Hmm.” 

“You’re squishing my boobs.” 

He let go, uttering an apology as he scooted back a bit, a touch of blue on his cheeks. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to... squish them.” He glanced down before realising it might be improper and quickly relocated his gaze, until your shy giggle pulled his eyes back to meet yours. 

“I-it’s okay, you know. ‘Cuz we’re sorta... uhm. Well. you know. A thing? I think – I hope. So you’re allowed to, uhm... Yeah.” 

“We’re definitely a thing – I-if that is what you want as well.” He suddenly seemed a tad uncertain, his smile faltering, but your mouth found his in a gentle but convincing kiss and you smiled against his lips as you felt his hand move over your hip, your waist, until it cupped your breast and his thumb gingerly moved over the soft skin. 

Your attention was then pulled from Grillby to the area downstairs. Which was absolutely burning. Fuck, you were sore like hell, but damn had it been worth it.  
When Grillby moved his lips to your neck again to show his growing want you felt bad to softly push your hands against his chest, a sign for him to stop. And he did. 

“Grillby, I-I can’t. It’s not that I don’t want to, I really do, but I don’t think...” You glanced down before meeting his eyes again, an awkward blush on your face. You needn’t say more. 

“I-I am greatly sorry if I was... too rough, last night. It’s just...” You made him lose control, stripped away everything he thought he was and reduced him to a wild animal that acted on primal instincts only. “I lost myself to my urges, and I apologise if it caused you any discomfort, though my apology must be useless to you, I- “ 

You cut his rambling short with another peck on the lips. “It’s okay, it really is. I... I really liked last night. It was great – you were great.” You tried to ignore both his and your own blush. “No need to... uhm. Do anything differently. Next time.”

God, you were absolutely beet-red. Shouldn’t this be easy, now that the two of you were ‘definitely a thing? You had shown him every bit of your bare body and yet here you were, stuttering and blushing like an idiot when talking about the amazingly good sex the two of you had had.  
It should be all right to talk about it. It shouldn’t be a subject of taboo, shameful to even mention; sex was natural, so why shouldn’t talking about it be just as casual? Yeah, you could do this, you could talk about what you liked without shame – you were an adult after all!

“I liked how you fucked me rough last night.” 

Okay, nope. Abort. Shit. Fuck. Now he was blazing white hot and you were not much cooler, and his hand on your boob wasn’t making things better. 

He quickly withdrew it, not knowing where to look. Your breasts, your eyes, your completely red face, the wall – fuck. He should say something, anything, to prevent this from getting even more awkward. 

“I really liked it as well.” 

Fuck, try again.

“I love how you screamed my name.” 

Good Gods, he was horrible at this – now you were unable to even look him in the eye, hiding your face behind your hands; and he was suddenly very aware of your still entangled legs, his flames doubling in size. 

And suddenly you burst out laughing. 

Your melodious voice rang through the air and calmed his flames while slight confusion settled in his gaze, and he just watched you. You hid your laugh – or at least tried to – with one hand and sloppily waved it off with the other, tears forming at the corners of your eyes squinted in mirth. You tried to say something but it came out chopped, interrupted by bursts of laughter and by the need to inhale more oxygen than you possibly could. 

“I’m s-sorry, it’s just-“ another fit, “- we’re just _so_ awkward, it’s not even healthy- “ You wiped the tears away and slowly settled from laughing to giggles, and from giggles back to (almost) breathing like a normal person. “we shouldn’t be this weird about it, right? I mean, yes, we had sex, and fuck yeah it was good,” you couldn’t help the blush there again, “and yes, I’d love to do it again and again,” blush growing deeper, and you were not the only one, “but that’s what most couples do, right? It’s no secret. So why am I still flushed like a fool when I say I loved every second of last night? And you go all blue and it’s adorable, honestly –“ 

He kissed you again, and if it hadn’t been for your soreness he would have taken you right then. Suddenly he remembered – monster food had healing properties. Surely a magic-infused breakfast must help? 

He broke the contact, chuckled, and moved to sit up. “I think I have found the solution to your problem.” 

“Wha- wh-... The awkwardness?” 

Another deep chuckle. “No, not that. The problem caused by my _rough fucking_.” He almost growled the last part, a playful gleam in his eyes as he watched your face go back to the now almost standard shade of red. 

“O-oh- yeah, _that_ problem.” 

The two of you got dressed – well, sort of. Grillby put on a pair of boxer shorts and you threw one of his shirts over your head, giggling softly when you noticed it was the ‘too hot, hot damn’ shirt. Nothing kept you from plundering his wardrobe now, and you looked forward to stealing his sweaters in the winter. Yet you were unaware of what the sight of you, wearing nothing but _his_ shirt, did to Grillby, and you completely missed his predatory look shining in his eyes. 

But he left you untouched – for now – and led you to the kitchen, trying to shift his thoughts to the food he needed to prepare. You watched him, curious, slightly confused, but patient, leaning against the countertop as you stood next to him. It didn’t take him long as his flames took the liquid to the required temperature within seconds, earning him a quiet gasp from you, and after a few finishing touches – a pinch of salt, a dash of dill – he poured it into two bowls and added a spoon to each. After absorbing some of the excess heat he handed you the food. 

“Eat.” 

You lifted the spoon to your lips and took a sip. It was a light soup, its texture perfect to the tongue and its taste a real heaven to your empty stomach, leaving the soft tingling of magic on your lips. You wolfed it down within minutes (the midnight activity had left you absolutely famished) before placing the bowl on the counter with a satisfied sigh. To your surprise, however, the pain downstairs seemed to fade away until nothing was left. 

“Wow, that stuff works fast. It’s like it never hurt at all.” You wiped your mouth, wondering about monster magic before his confident step towards you caught your attention. 

“Good.” 

He swept you off your feet, carried you back into the bedroom, and claimed your body for a second time.  
You needed another magic-infused meal afterwards. 

 

It seemed that the magic only healed your sore or damaged skin; and as the blue of bruises and bite marks technically wasn’t the problem itself, the discolouring stayed. And as you looked at your skin in the mirror you felt pride, excitement, a sense of belonging. 

After putting on a bit of make-up and fixing your sex-hair you re-entered the living room and sat down on the couch next to Grillby, who then gingerly pulled you closer against him so he could wrap his arms around your chest. There wasn’t much on the telly but you just sat there enjoying the sensation for a while, your head resting against his shoulder as your heart and Soul felt bright and warm.  
You felt better than you had in years – appreciated, wanted, loved – and this was only the beginning. Your relationship was beautifully new; and who knew what was still to come? Lots of fun or cute dates if it were up to you, and he still had to teach you how to play the piano. How long would you stay together? Would you marry him in a couple of years? Hellfire was a pretty cool last name to have. 

Whoa, you needed to calm down there. The two of you had been ‘a thing’ for less than a _day_ (well, _night_ ) and you had only known him for a week! Which was a crazy thing on its own already; never before had you fallen in love so quickly. But maybe that was just the thing – maybe, if your love for this man would continue to be this strong for the man who was holding you close, it would lead to something more. 

Gods, why were you thinking about this? You sounded like a child fantasising about her future wedding, drawing stick figures in suits and dresses on every piece of paper you could find. Sure you felt like you wanted to stay with him for the rest of your life, and yes you felt like this was the deepest you had ever felt towards someone, but you were still so young! And what about Grillby’s opinion on the matter? Not that you were going to ask; that would be extremely weird. But maybe he didn’t even want to ever get married. Maybe monsters didn’t marry – though you thought BP had said something about marriage and bonding. Soul bonding, to be exact, but you couldn’t remember much more as your mind had been wandering too much during the conversation. 

Should you ask Grillby about it? But what if it held the same status as marriage? Wouldn’t that be like proposing to him?  
Why were you still thinking about getting married to your only-just-boyfriend?

You let out a soft sigh and felt Grillby pull you a bit tighter against him, though not uncomfortably so. 

“Is something wrong?” His voice was soft, a noticeable tone of worry coating his words. 

“No, it’s nothing. Just thinking.” 

“About what?” 

Shit, you needed a little lie. But what? You didn’t want to scare him off by talking about the future. Guys that talked with their girlfriends about having kids had always creeped you out. Could you even have kids with Grillby, since he was of a different species and all? Stop. Thinking. Wait – if you could have his children, then there was an obvious problem. You could get pregnant. 

“I- I uhm...” How were you going to address this? Should you just avoid the topic and get some morning-after pills and birth control shit at the local pharmacy? But what if magic couldn’t be stopped by chemicals? 

Grillby sat up and moved you a bit so he could look you in your eyes. “You know you can tell me everything.” 

You nodded, feeling your chest contract anxiously. It was a topic the two of you would need to talk about if you continued your bedroom escapades without using condoms. You took in a deep breath and forced yourself to look him in the eye. “I wondered if a human and a monster... If I could – well, uhm...” You internally slapped yourself and pushed the words from your lungs. “I wondered if I could get pregnant, and if I need a special kind of birth control.” 

Blue returned to his face and he broke the eye contact. “I... don’t know. I- I think you can get pregnant, as there were many interracial couples before the war who had children. But I don’t know anything about contraceptives.” 

You nodded again. “Do you know anyone who might?”

“Alphys might know.” 

The both of you were silent for a while, until Grillby broke the silence. 

“I do not mind wearing a condom, if that is what you wish?” 

“Yeah, that might be, uhm... Yes. Thank you.” 

He pulled you closer again and you leaned against him, worry slowly ebbing away as you enjoyed his close company for a while. 

 

When the moment had gone - your bladder called for attention - you gave him a kiss on the cheek and stood up, grabbing your phone on the way to the bathroom. You opened your contact list and tapped on the first name that showed up. 

XXX XXXX – 11:23  
Hey Alphys! I have a couple of... sensitive questions. Would it be okay for you to discuss them over the phone or would you rather meet? It’s pretty urgent :S

You put it down to wash your hands but immediately picked it up again when you heard the little tone of a received message. 

Alphys – 11:24  
Hi! I can talk on the phone. Is everything all right? Wait, I’ll just call you.

And not even a second later your phone rang. 

“H-hey, are you okay?” 

“Hi Alphys! Yeah, I’m fine, don’t worry. It’s just, ehm...” You felt your cheeks starting to glow again. “Things... happened, last night. And- “You stopped for a moment as you heard her trying to hold back a squeal. “And I need to know if I uhm. If I can get pregnant from Grillby. Can I use human contraceptives?” 

It was silent on the other end of the line for a couple of seconds before you heard some paper rustling, some things falling, and a soft yelp. “L-let me check that for a s-second.” More thuds, the sound of Alphys flipping pages, and a soft breathing in the background. Then you heard a second voice, faintly –yet you recognised it in an instant. 

”hey alphys, you got those pills ready?”

”O-on the shelf over there, blue and white. I put the i-information leaflet inside the bottle.” 

”k, thanks a lot. i mean it.

”N-no problem, come back w-when you run out!”

More flipping of pages, until you heard a soft ‘ah!’ of success. 

“I f-found it. You _can_ get pregnant, though t-the books don’t all agree with each o-other on how. S-some say both of you n-need the desire to have children for it to work, but t-this one says that it can happen at any time.” 

She searched the pages before turning to another book, where she found something else you might need to know. “T-there’s no risk of s-sexually transmitted diseases, s-so neither of you n-needs to get checked.“ 

There wasn’t much to be found about contraceptives, as those weren’t as well-developed as they were now and most reports were about the use of either natural herbs or the help of specially trained mages. But even though there aren’t any mages anymore, most chemicals used for birth control nowadays are still based on those herbs they used back then. It was rather safe to say that normal contraceptives would do the trick. 

“I –I’m pretty sure human b-birth control pills and stuff w-will work.” 

“...How sure?” 

“Ninety-nine percent sure.” 

“Okay. Thanks, Alphys!” 

“N-no problem! I’m so glad the t-two of you are together!” 

You let out a soft laugh, a distant look in your eyes as you stared at the white-tiled wall in front of you. “Me too.” 

After saying your goodbyes you hung up, staring at your phone for a moment as your thoughts dragged your attention away.  
Together. You and Grillby were together. You and the monster, the gentleman, the fire elemental, the man of flames, the bartender. So many titles, and he had gained another one. But which one? The boyfriend? It sounded too childish, too immature for the man who met your gaze as you left the bathroom. The spouse? No, that was mainly used for married couples. The partner sounded too business-like, too serious, and the lover made you blush slightly as its meaning was often connected to carnal pleasures. You walked over to him, sat down and leaned against him again. 

Yours; maybe that was the right title. He was yours. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments boost my self-confidence, kudos shoo away my insecurities about my writing! <3
> 
> Okay so here is the explanation I promised.  
> In the last chapter you might have noticed that Grillby asked for permission, even though it was pretty clear Reader wanted him. Consent is important! Don't ever do anything you're not comfortable with, and please ask for permission as well, even if it's a little awkward. And even though you're in a relationship, you don't owe him/her/them anything. If you say no, it is not their right to continue.  
> But what else is very important, is to talk to your boyfriend/lover about things. Talk about using a condom, or other contraceptives. Talk about STD tests and things like that. It is important that both of you know what you're doing, and that you feel comfortable doing so, with no threats of future things that you might regret. Don't let sex stay a taboo. Talk about it. 
> 
> It's kind of a subliminal message I wanted to give to my Readers, whether you are into all that stuff or not. There have been others in other chapters as well; how you shouldn't change for anyone but yourself, and how it's okay to feel sad or lonely sometimes. There's probably more but I can't quite remember right now. The point is, please take care of yourselves, 
> 
> please be safe ♡


	28. Your Fee to the Universe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything comes at a price.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a pretty short chapter, sorry! I will be gone for about two weeks, maybe more, but after that the upload of chapters will probably be once a week until the end. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!

He hesitantly unscrewed the lid, the white pinpricks of light in his sockets moving over the contents of the bottle. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Alphys – he trust her with his life – but he felt... unsure. Unsure about whether this was a good idea. The side effects were still unknown as he was the first to be testing it, and who knew it would even work? He hoped it would. It was his only solution, the only way to get rid of his feelings for you before they would drag him down back to where he had struggled so hard to crawl away from. 

Was he a coward for doing this? Was he weak, because he wasn’t able to cope with indirect heartbreak, taking pills instead of trying to move on? 

A door fell shut and he quickly shoved the bottle under the sheets, jumped up from the bed and teleported downstairs. 

“hey bro.” 

“SANS! WHERE WERE YOU? I MADE YOU SPAGHETTI THIS MORNING BUT YOU DIDN’T COME DOWN WHEN I CALLED, AND I KNOW HOW MUCH YOU LOVE MY AMAZING COOKING, SO THE ONLY CONCLUSION WAS THAT YOU WERE NOT HOME!” He looked at the smaller skeleton with worry written all over his skull.

“yeah, i uh, i forgot to tell you i had to work early. sorry bro.” He grinned weakly. “tho i do regretti not eating your spaghetti.” 

The worried look quickly shifted to an annoyed frown as he threw his hands up in the air with a loud groan, and Sans was safe again. After listening to his brother’s trip to the grocery store he made another couple of puns and teleported back to his room when his bro amiably threatened to hit him with a skillet. But once upstairs his face shifted again, and his smile fell as a sigh escaped him. He needed to be careful, to keep up his act and to hide the pills, because even though Papyrus wouldn’t just enter his room, his brother’s worry might one day be enough to convince him to break down the door. 

But he would get to the hiding part later. First, he needed to get rid of your tight grasp on his Soul.  
He grabbed the bottle and took the piece of paper out, folding it open to read the instructions. 

_Take the blue pill to stop feeling it, and a white pill after to prevent it from resurfacing. Take the white pill as soon as you feel it coming back, but don’t take more than two per day as I don’t know what it might do. For blue pills I would recommend that you don’t take more than 2 per day as well._

_Take the pills on a full stomach, this will make sure they last longer and might prevent some of the side effects. Please keep a journal about what you experience, write down even the smallest headache or itch, and come to me when you notice any things that seem off._

_If things go wrong, come to me immediately. I have the antidote ready._

_Sans, please be careful._

_-Alphys_

 

He folded it back and lay it aside, before shifting his gaze to the contents of the bottle again. He shook a couple of pills on his hand and took a blue one between the phalanges of his thumb and index finger, turning it around and inspecting the artificial colour in the thin beam of light that streamed through the space between the curtains, feeling an anxious sort of dread make his Soul contract painfully. But then the thoughts of you returned, of your eyes, your smile, your laugh and your touch – and he quickly swallowed it. 

He felt nothing at first, no sudden change in mood or anything like that. Carefully he turned his mind back to you, to the memory of him making you laugh, and slowly he felt the pain lessen, the fluttering of his Soul dulling until it was motionless once more. He thought about how Grillby looked at you with such affection, admiration even. About how he would hold you, take care of you, kiss you good night and kiss you good morning. About how he would share his body and Soul with you. 

And he felt nothing. 

 

-

 

“I could keep the bar closed today.” He buried his face in your neck as he hugged you from behind, and you chuckled. 

“What about your patrons?” 

“I don’t care about them.” 

“That’s a lie, and you know it.” You softly poked his side, making him chuckle against your skin. “We’ll have all night and all morning together. And besides, you need the money, especially now that I’m leeching off of you as well.” 

“You know I don’t mind paying for you.” 

“Doesn’t make it less true that you need the money.” 

He sighed softly, placed a kiss where your neck met your shoulder, and pulled away; thought not without some reluctance. “All right. Will you join me downstairs?” 

You turned around to meet his eyes. “Maybe in an hour or so, I was kind of planning to wash my clothes. Can I used your washing machine? I’ll wash your stuff as well.” 

“You may use everything in this apartment, whenever you want.” He smiled and moved to the bedroom, where he put on his bartender vest and bowtie, after which you followed him to the end of the hallway. 

It looked as if he had something on his mind, as if he was hesitating to ask something. “What is it?” 

He met your gaze, a slight hint of blue weaving through his flames. “If anyone asks... may I confirm our relationship?” 

You let out a soft laugh. “Of course.”

He gave you a last lingering kiss before disappearing down the stairs, and you quietly closed the door behind him before walking back to the living room. After gathering your stuff you separated it into piles of the same category and threw the first one into the machine, all while swinging your hips to your favourite music. Your heart felt light, your mind was clear, and the tension in your shoulders and neck had mostly disappeared. You still couldn’t quite believe that this was your reality now; but damn did it feel good every time you realised it – it made you feel so _alive_. 

The washing machine was a washer-dryer combo, and you wondered if it had been here when Grillby moved in or if he bought it to replace the older one. Damp clothes probably wouldn’t hurt him much, but the combination of the two appliances into one was both smart and convenient. It was one less thing for you to worry about. 

After meeting Grillby you had been far more aware of the water around you; rain, tea, the watering can for the plants, the washed clothes – you worried more about his safety than your own. But the threats were everywhere and you already dreaded summer, when people had their sprinklers on more often than not and children ran through the streets throwing water balloons and shooting each other with their water pistols, even though you didn’t know how much water it would take to actually do some damage. You were fairly certain, however, that it would just take one idiot with a water hose to- 

Don’t think about that. It was okay to be aware, to finally pull away from the oblivion you had been living in for the past week, but there was no use in getting anxiety over imaginary situations that might never even happen. If he had been able to live for hundreds of years without dying then he could probably keep doing so without you worrying about him. 

And he probably would. He would stay as he was, looking young and handsome - but you, you would grow old, grow weaker, maybe even sick. Would he still love you, even though your cells started to refuse to regenerate? Would he still love you when your health dropped, wrinkles formed, and your hair turned grey? When your heartbeat grew more laboured? Your breathing more raspy? Your voice less steady? Would he still love you when your body started to protest against being alive, and when your Soul finally gave up fighting against it? Would he still love you after you were gone and he was still there, nearly unchanged and still in the prime of his life?  
Would he find someone else?

You slowly sank through your knees, hands squeezed into fists as silent tears rolled down your cheek. You didn’t want to think about this – why were you thinking about this? 

Sans’ shirt caught your attention through your blurry vision, and you reached for it, forced yourself to smile as you took the fabric between your fingers. You were not going to be sad about something that was still such a long time away. You were going to focus on the laundry, on living in the moment, and nothing more. 

And you did so for a while, until the doorbell rang. You quickly threw the last pile into the machine, started the program, and dashed towards the door. You nearly stumbled down the stairs but made it down without breaking any bones – though you missed the last step and got a near-death experience as you felt gravity shift beneath you. At last you reached the door, and you opened it with an apologetic smile. 

“Sorry it took so long, I was just-“ 

The sweet, pungent scent of chloroform flooded your lungs, drowned your mind as the soaked cloth was firmly pressed over your face. You swung your arms around you, kicked against the sudden tight grasp of your capturer but felt your consciousness slip away. Your limbs grew numb as if your body denied their existence and the world began to blur around you, words and sounds losing their meaning, until everything merged together; and all went black. 

 

-

 

“why do you keep looking at the time?” The skeleton eyed him with a mix between suspicion and worry, but the bartender himself was the one who worried most. 

It had been three hours, and there was still no sign of you. He knew you were someone who kept their word, and why wouldn’t you? He had thought you liked it down here in the bar. What if you had tripped, hit your head against the sink and were bleeding to death all while he was still happily serving his patrons? His heart contracted and he put down the glass he had been cleaning. He needed to check, or his mind wouldn’t find peace for the rest of the evening. 

“I will be right back.” 

He strode off and turned to the stairs - only to see that the back exit stood wide open, the breeze making the door creak in agony. His heart dropped and fear rose as he stood nailed to the ground, staring at the open door. It probably wasn’t anything to worry about, you had just invited someone in who had forgotten to close it. Yes. No need to be afraid.  
And yet he nearly ran up the stairs, pulling the door to his apartment open with such force he almost feared the hinges were going to give. But the hinges were quickly forgotten – the living room was empty. He dashed through his apartment, checked the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen – but you weren’t there. His heart sped up and his eyes grew wide in terror.  
This was not happening, this was not real. I couldn't be.

The shorter skeleton appeared next to him as he stood nailed to the ground, staring at the suddenly pressing emptiness around him. “grillbz, what’s wrong?” 

“She’s gone. She’s - ” His fingers started trembling so he clenched his hands into fists. He turned and bolted down the stairs again, left through the open door, and ran for the end of the alleyway. The streets were empty, no pedestrians or cars in sight. His body was shaking, his muscles tense. 

You were gone. 

 

His hands moved to the flames atop of his head in frustration, his heart beating like it was trying to tear itself out of his chest. When he turned around Sans was there, his eye sockets dark. 

“don’t worry, i will find her.” 

“Come to me before you do anything.” The stress nearly broke his voice.

He nodded, and a moment later the skeleton was gone. Grillby quickly reached for his phone and messaged both Undyne and Papyrus with trembling fingers, asking them if they had seen anything strange in the neighbourhood, any unknown cars. They replied almost immediately, and he felt a spark of hope ignite as Undyne said that she had seen a strange car drive past only moments ago. She gave him the details and told him they were going to put every Royal Guard on the job, forming a search party with anyone else who wanted to join, and advised him to inform the police. And he did. 

He went back to the bar, only to see a very distressed BP burst through the door. 

“Sans came by - did he take her?” 

Grillby nodded, fighting to keep the stress from tearing him apart. Maybe your stalker hadn’t kidnapped you, maybe you just went for a walk – but the chances were small. You would have told him. BP quickly announced the situation to the patrons and told them that the bar was going to close; anyone who wanted to help searching for you was welcome to do so. 

 

Your name echoed through the streets, carried by many voices and accompanied by loud, questioning barks. But the search parties moved too slow to Grillby’s liking, so he broke apart and began to search for himself. His eyes scanned every car for the right colour and brand, scanned every face for a familiar one. Adrenaline rushed through his body but he felt like he was made of concrete. His head was still in denial, but his Soul had already begun worrying about the worst. What if he hurt you? Used you? He hadn’t been there for you, hadn’t been there to protect you, and guilt washed over him like a flood. Emotions fought for attention within him, fear clashing with worry and guilt, but another one joined the fight – anger. His flames grew higher as he thought of the man who dared to do this to you. Grillby had killed humans before. He wondered how easy it would be to fall back into mindlessly murdering again. 

Memories from the past hit him in the stomach but he tried to push them away, images of blood and scorched flesh haunting him, pounding in his head as they tried to force themselves back to his attention. The smell of something burning, the numbing of his emotions to deal with sinking his sword into living bodies, the screaming -  
He felt his knees buckle and nearly sank through them but he pushed on, forced his legs to carry him with a pace close to running, his muscles burning and his shoulders protesting. But he wasn’t going to give up. 

He was going to find you, no matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments feel like warm hugs, kudos like whispered praise <3
> 
> I hope the tension was thick enough? I feel like I lost the ability to write fear a bit. I will try to improve, of course!
> 
>  
> 
> I love every single one of you ♡


	29. Deranged Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I love you?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I am so sorry for my long absence. School and work have been taking up most of my time lately and there has been some shit going on in my life that made me lose the ability to write for a while. Don't worry, I'll be okay. I don't know when I'll post the next chapter though, it could be one or more weeks. i'm so glad you stayed with me and stayed patient, I love every single one of you! <3
> 
> I recommend listening to 'Brim' by Ólafur Arnalds on repeat for this one! Here's the link:  
> https://listenonrepeat.com/?v=cEfLFhWqTLA#%C3%93lafur_Arnalds__-_Brim
> 
> Please enjoy!

Your whole body felt weak, tired, too used to function any longer, yet slowly you managed to wake up. Your lips and nose were burning as if the skin had been exposed to the sun for too long and your tongue felt like it hadn’t touched water in years. Water- you needed water. 

You managed to pry your heavy eyes open, to focus them on the ground they were staring at and the shoes that stood on it. Your hands and feet were tied and you could feel how the rope and duct tape had damaged your wrists and ankles but there was no way of escaping – your hands were placed behind your back and your feet felt too worn to move. The ground was cold and hard beneath your behind but it didn’t quite compare to the pounding ache in your head that made it difficult to think straight. 

Slowly you began to realise the gravity of the situation – you had been kidnapped by a dangerous man, your hands and feet were tied, and no one, not even you, knew where you were. There was no hope for rescue. 

Panic started to rise, crawling its way up to your heart at an agonizing pace; anxious thoughts flooded your head and adrenaline started to fill up your veins, to urge you to do something.  
You needed to escape, but how? You couldn’t move your limbs and the world as still spinning and morphing around you – even if you did manage to get up gravity would most likely pull you down again. 

Suddenly it hit you – you were not alone. 

Your gaze shot back to the shoes and slowly moved up, fear increasing with every inch of person they found until you reached his face and terror exploded. His eyes were so sickly full of love you gagged, you felt like your body was trying to throw up your intestines and noticed how it had started trembling. 

“It didn’t have to be this way. You know that, right?” 

He kneeled down until he was at eyelevel, smiling as guiltless as one would when apologising for losing a pencil of someone they disliked. You couldn’t meet his gaze, averted your eyes to anything but him, but he wouldn’t have it. His fingers found your chin and jerked it back, forcing you to look at him. 

“We could have been happy.” 

You wanted to cry, to scream, to spit in his face; but your body didn’t respond and you stayed frozen, heart pounding as if it was trying to rip itself apart – as if it was trying to end this all before it could continue. You felt how the skin underneath his fingers started to bruise. 

“We still can.” His eyes, bright yet so dark, pierced through you with the sting of a thousand thin needles. “I still love you.” 

You couldn’t do anything, you were unable to move, unable to speak and unable to think. He could snap your neck in a second and you couldn’t even cry out for help, or kick and scream in the hopes of someone coming to your rescue. You couldn’t reach for your phone or defend yourself if you needed to – you were completely and utterly powerless. You hated that you were the damsel in distress, the one who couldn’t save herself. Were you not strong enough? Not smart enough? You needed to focus, to figure out what you needed to do.  
He let go of your chin and set a step back.

You tried to calm your heart, to steady your breathing, to clear your mind. There was no room for mistakes – this man was unpredictable, maybe even violent. Should you play along? Would it buy you some time? Maybe the others were already looking for you, and all you needed to do was to keep him talking. Yet you didn’t know if anyone would be able to find you; you didn’t know where you were, so how could they? Maybe that was what you needed to do first – figure out your location. 

You tried to wet your dry lips, to clear your throat, ended up coughing and tasting blood, but eventually you managed to speak. 

“Where am I?” 

He smiled, sending shivers down your back, and gestured around him. 

“We’re home. Well, this will be our home. When you finally see that we are meant to be together we can go buy furniture – anything you like – and make it all cozy. I already bought the house, but don’t worry about the money. We can both get a job, a real job, and then we can live here, get a dog, and we will have children who can play in the garden. They will call you mommy and me daddy and we will be in love and so very happy. Can you see it? Can you see how great it will be?” 

Having no idea how to respond you nodded, almost feeling your Soul sink into the ground when his eyes lit up with some kind of childlike obsession. 

You moved your head, slowly, trying not to anger the vicious headache any further, and let your eyes scan your surroundings. You seemed to be sitting on the ground floor of an old building that looked as if it could come crash down on you any second now; the ceiling sinking slightly as if burdened with some unknown pressure, the white paint flaking off the walls and forming heaps on the bare, concrete ground, exposing the old brickwork behind it. Wires and pipes emerged from improvised holes and dust swirled in lazy patterns in the light streaming through the uncovered windows. 

You forced yourself to smile and to meet his gaze, but you couldn’t keep fear from settling further into the core of your being – you had no idea where you were. 

There was no clue whatsoever as to whether you were still in your own town or not - or if you were even in the same state – and time was but a concept to you now, something that passed over without any meaning; yet you felt it clearly. Each second felt like an eternity and you tried not to think about anything at all, to keep your head clear and the panic contained beneath a wall of reason. It was the only thing keeping you from screaming until your throat would start to bleed. 

Maybe you could persuade him into freeing your hands, maybe even your feet. Would he fall for the classic bathroom act? He might be deranged but he certainly wasn’t an idiot – they would have caught him already if that had been the case – so the chances were small. The floor was covered in debris but even if you managed to get a hold of something sharp you doubted it would be able to cut through the tape or through the masterly made rope. And besides, what would you do when you were free? You couldn’t outrun him, not in this condition, let alone win a fight if it came to that. But maybe – just maybe, you could outsmart him. 

“I-if you love me, then you want to take good care of me, right?” 

You hated the quiver in your voice but at least you could speak. He smiled saccharine sweet and affirmed your question, so you continued. 

“Well... uhm, I would like some water, if that’s possible? 

“Of course! I will be right back, sugar.” 

You had to keep yourself from visibly cringing at the pet name and forced yourself to smile again; and as soon as he was gone you let out the breath you had unconsciously been holding. Good, if you were right he should be gone for longer than two minutes – it didn’t look like the water or the electricity would work in this house, so he needed to get it elsewhere. This could mean breaking into a house in which the facilities were actually working or running to the shop to buy it. Either way, this bought you some time. 

You tried to wiggle your hands loose, able to ignore the burning pain as you were fully set on escaping and surviving another day. The skin between your wrists turned red, chafed off to expose the soft, vulnerable layers underneath, but you kept going with jaws clenched tight – and after what felt like eons you could feel the tape loosen. You could pull your hands free.  
Internally thanking the Gods you reached for your phone, activated the GPS location tracker, and called Grillby; interrupting him with hurried whispering before he could even speak. 

“I’m in a really old house and from the inside it looks like it’s falling apart, I don’t hear any cars so I don’t think there are any large roads nearby. From my position I can see trees outside the window but I can’t stand up to see what else is there – I think they’re oaks. The tracker on my phone is on and I think there’s a website to find me using my number. I am fine and alive but please come quickly, I can’t stay on the phone any longer as he could be back any moment now.” 

You hung up and put it back in your pocket, moving your wrists back into the now slightly loose ring of tape with a quiet hiss of pain – and not a moment too soon. His footsteps echoed through the building, announcing his return, and you took a deep breath. All that was left for you to do was to wait. 

 

Grillby nearly crushed his phone between his trembling fingers, feeling his Soul reach out for you _so strongly_ as if it could touch you, comfort you, tell you that he was coming and that everything would be all right. But the only way to contact you now was to find you; and he finally knew what to do.  
He quickly called Undyne and repeated your message, but his heart sank when she, too, didn’t know any building that fit the description. Before she was finished talking he spotted her and Papyrus at the end of the street and closed the distance within a minute. 

She greeted him with a serious and determined look in her unpatched eye. “I know how to track her, just a second.”

He watched her fingers move over the screen, swiping and typing on the digital keypad before they stopped moving altogether and she just silently stared, waiting for the location to be revealed; and he held his breath. It felt like more centuries passed now than he had spent underground but at last the blinking dot appeared, and it was not too far. 

 

He set the bottle to your lips and lifted it just enough for the water to flow slowly, all while staring way too deeply into your eyes – you nearly choked because of it. He put the bottle away and wiped your mouth with his fingers, a gesture so strangely intimate you felt violated, and he sat so close you found yourself wishing for a real personal bubble – yet with a barrier made of stone instead of soap. But you kept smiling, you let him stroke your arm, let him move his fingers through your hair and mutter words of praise. You had to keep him calm, unsuspecting, until Grillby found you. But you noticed he was growing impatient. 

“Are you okay, sugar? You seem a little... tense.” He let his eyes wander over your face. “Don’t worry, you _will_ love me. Soon.” His eyes suddenly fell someplace lower, and his voice turned dark. “Unless you already love someone else.” 

He shot forward and grabbed the neckline of your shirt so harshly you nearly tipped back – as a reflex your hand shot out to catch yourself before you hit the concrete, revealing how you had freed your wrists before. His expression turned to something more dangerous than anger now, a burning jealousy mixed with betrayal and hate – the last one not directed at you, but at whoever had made the mark on your neck.  
He pulled you up and swung you against the wall, dust and debris raining down from the ceiling at the loud impact that knocked the wind out of you, his fingers still wrapped tightly around the fabric. Your tied feet were unable to keep your body balanced but your abductor felt how you wobbled and brought his other hand to wrap around your neck, pinning you firmly against the wall, and you gasped for air as his palm pressed against your throat. Your free hands clawed at his arms and you tried to rip open his skin with your nails but black spots dotted your vision and you felt how that darkness tried to take over, how your head started to scream for oxygen.

Suddenly he let go and you smacked onto the floor with your shoulder – you were pretty sure you heard it pop – eliciting a loud cry from your tortured lungs. He grabbed your hands and forcefully pulled them behind your back again, reached for the tape, and wrapped it around and around your wrists and hands until they were covered completely in the dark grey plastic. 

“Look what you’ve made me do, it’s all your fault. If you hadn’t – I wouldn’t have needed to do this. But you’ll come around. You will see how much I love you. And you will love me too. 

The way he spoke was enough to convince anyone that he wasn’t normal, that it wasn’t _safe_ to be near him, and tears drained all the leftover water from your body as they ran down your face endlessly. You were so scared even though you knew you had to be tough, not just for yourself but for Grillby and the others as well, yet you couldn’t stop your body from shaking or your heart from racing. 

He watched you cry for a moment, his expression unreadable, until he left the room and you cried even louder. 

 

He returned within a couple of minutes, set the chair he had brought with him next to you, and helped you to your feet in an almost gentle way – only to push you down on the wooden seat again. Your Soul clung to the hope of Grillby searching for you, finding you, knocking your abductor out and embracing you. He would take you home and all would be fine again. Everything would be all right. 

You met your kidnapper’s gaze and felt your insides twist again. You knew what was coming. 

“Who gave you that mark?” 

You couldn’t talk, tears clogging up your throat and blurring your vision, but he wouldn’t have it. 

“ **Who gave you that mark?** ” 

You tried to back away from his yelling, tried to dodge his hand before it made contact with your cheek, but you were unable to and the sound echoed through the empty room. Suddenly his expression changed and he started apologising, wrapped his arms around you and made shushing sounds; but you only cried even louder, wriggling to get away yet you were immobilized by the tape around your arms and the rope around your feet. He backed away again, confusion written all over his face, and emotions started to swirl in his eyes. You figured he had never expected you to react in this way.  
When he spoke he sounded broken. Lost. Hurt. 

“I love you?” 

You met his eyes again, ignored the blooded seeping from the tiny split in your lip, and in between sobs spoke with a voice raw from abused lungs. 

“But _I_ don’t love _you_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments keep me smiling, kudos make my heart soar with happiness <3
> 
> I think I remember getting fanart but I don't remember from who? If you made me fanart and haven't been mentioned in the notes, please tell me! I want everyone to see how lovely it is! <3


	30. The Price of Oblivion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At last, the Universe will collect what it is owed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The songs recommended are 'Brim' and 'For Now I Am Winter' by Ólafur Arnalds.
> 
> Please enjoy!

Undyne led the way and they ran so fast nearly everyone they passed stopped and turned to watch them go. The streets grew emptier with every turn they took, the buildings dilapidating until it seemed like the neighbourhood’s existence had been completely forgotten. It was not unlike entering a dystopian nightmare; the skeletons of ignored buildings towering over them, nature taking over by growing its weeds in every crack and wrapping its thirsty vines around anything it could get, and if the situation had been different he might have stopped to admire it. But fear pulled too hard on his Soul. Would he get to you in time? Would your abductor take you somewhere else before they arrived, and would they once again be left clueless of your location? 

But then he spotted it – the house that fit your description. It stood apart from the rest, partially hidden by a line of trees consisting of oaks and birches, and the garden looked untended, the building rickety. His anger flared up again but he forced himself to stay calm; burning down the house wouldn’t exactly be very helpful if he wanted to get you out of there alive - if you were still inside in the first place. 

They quickly made their way to the front door, determined, yet all plagued by the undeniable fear that it could be too late already. 

 

The sound of his hand hitting your face again nearly damaged your eardrums – but it certainly damaged the capillaries in your nose. The copper-like taste conquered your mouth as the red liquid slowly streamed down over your lips and you gagged, bent over as if you wanted to throw up, but nothing came and your stomach protested with painful twists as the sting of bile mixed with the blood in the back of your throat. You spluttered and spit red on the ground but you couldn’t get rid of the prominent taste of metal. 

Suddenly a loud bang shook the building and your name, called in a familiar voice, reached your ears. Hope flared up and your glance shot towards the door as you yelled back with all your might.

“ _Grillby!_ ” 

Your heart sped up again and you thrashed in your restraints, tried to get the tape off so you could escape, but pain shot through your head when his fist met your temple. White-hot bolts and stars danced in front of your eyes and all your energy drained away into the cold wood of the chair. 

 

Grillby burst into the room, his anger rising and his flames dancing at twice their height. The urge to kill pressed against his heart as he raised another couple of degrees in temperature, his body growing closer to the war-drinking monster he had once been as he stood face to face with your captor - the man who had dared to take you away from him. Yet when his gaze fell on you his bloodlust was forgotten – for a moment. 

The bruising of your cheek, the old and fresh blood on your lips, the marks of fingertips around your neck. 

The shock and worry faded and got buried beneath searing fury again as he nearly lost himself to the figure of his past, his vision washing red with rage - but he forced himself to stay calm. He had sworn never to become that man ever again. 

His hands clenched into fists and his eyes stood bright with hatred, but before he could set another step forward your abductor pulled you up from the chair, grasping you tight as your tied feet wobbled and struggled to keep you standing. 

“Don’t come closer!” His voice broke halfway through his shouting; desperation, anger, heartbreak and fear swirling in his eyes. “Are you the one that left this mark?” He pulled down the neckline of your shirt again. 

Grillby nodded, nearly growling his answer. “She’s mine.” 

Undyne materialized a blue spear and pointed it at the twisted human, backed up by the row of large bones covered in an orange glow. “Let her go!” 

But the guy shook his head, letting out a short, maniacal laugh. “Don’t you see? The two of us were made for each other – I _love_ her!” 

He pulled you closer against him and ignored your weak struggle to break free. Your gaze met Grillby’s, your eyes pleading for help. The elemental shifted his weight to leap forward until something blinked in the dust-filled sunlight and he froze in place. All movement ceased and he shifted his gaze between your captor and the pocketknife that was pointed at his chest. You wanted to yell, to tell him to stop, until you realised a blade couldn’t hurt Grillby – but your captor seemed to know this as well. 

He shifted the blade to your neck. 

Fear increased tenfold when you felt the cold metal press against your skin, tears flowing freely again as terror took over. Grillby was now the one with the desperate and pleading look, stepping back and raising his hands in the universal sign of defeat. 

“Let her go. Please.” 

For a moment that seemed to last beyond time itself you only heard his heavy breathing, his grasp on your body and the knife against your pulsing artery as your abductor tried to figure out what to do.  
Then his eyes turned cold. 

“If I can’t have her, no one can.” 

The stainless steel left your throat and for a moment you wondered if you could get away, if this was your chance to break free if you could just drop all your weight to the floor and - 

The knife sunk into your abdomen, left, pierced your flesh again, before it dropped to the ground and its wielder ran.

 

The world slowed down. You sunk through your knees and fell, beaten body hitting the floor with a dulled thud as there was no fighting gravity now. Dust swirled up around you in slow-motion and the light from the window seemed to slowly burn your skin as the three monsters were stunned in their places.

 

Grillby shot forward and lifted you into his arms, his free hand trembling above the steadily growing stains of red. He didn’t know what to do, what to say, his head spinning and his heart beating rapidly in his chest as he watched the bright colour soak your shirt, drop down and find the concrete to form a new landscape of contrast. He knew nothing about wounds as monsters didn’t die like humans did but turned to dust and he cursed himself, cursed himself for not looking into that the moment he heard about your stalker. 

Undyne awoke from the shock and quickly took over. 

“Papyrus, grab him and bring him back here as undamaged as possible!” Papyrus ran off. “Grillby, press your hands firmly on the wounds to stop her from losing more blood.” She grabbed her phone and called an ambulance before texting Sans to come the fuck over here, now – but there was no response. Where the hell was he when she needed him? When _you_ needed him? 

\- 

Foam formed at his mouth, blocking out the oxygen even he needed to breathe, the numbness on his heart pressing with such force it felt like being squashed between two boulders. Panic blurred his vision as he clawed at the empty space around him, darkness and light mixing without reaching his eyes when he teleported to the only person able to help him – yet he was unsure whether he would be alive by the time he reached her.

-

Papyrus returned within the minute, holding the man tightly by his wrist and preventing him from escaping. The skeleton was strong enough to keep his phalanges locked, no matter how much the vermin squirmed and twisted, and stood unfazed by his loud cursing and angry yelling. Undyne grabbed his other wrist to stop him from hitting Papyrus’ chest piece repeatedly and gave it a tight squeeze, nails digging into his skin and sending him through his knees as he cried out in pain. 

Grillby didn’t hear it. He heard nothing but the rasp in your shallow breathing and the thoughts racing through his head.  
He kept his free hand pressed firmly on your pierced skin but the blood seemed to find its way through his fingers, and the bright stain that drenched your shirt only seemed to grow and grow. 

He felt powerless.

One of your own hands covered the other wound but your strength seemed to bleed out with the rest and soon your fingers faltered, letting the liquid seep through. Grillby had to gently lay you down so he could press his other hand on your stomach as well, taking over the hand you left to fall at your side. 

“Don’t you dare give up on me, ____!” Grillby growled loudly, lava-like tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. He was not going to lose you. Not now, not ever. Not like this. 

But your heartbeat was dulling. Colour started to drain from your face. You didn’t react to his voice, to his touch, as if you had grown oblivious to the world around you, and your eyes seemed hazy, staring beyond what could be seen, their colour and brightness softening.  
He was losing you. 

“Please, ____, please! I am begging you. Please. Look at me.” 

And to his surprise, you did. Your pupils shifted and focussed on his face, unshed tears glistening in your eyes, your lips parting slightly as if you wanted to speak.  
But no words followed.  
Tears breached through again, streaming across your bruised cheeks without reserve and yet you made no sound, spoke no word, left no whimper. 

“Keep looking at me. I’m here. Stay awake. Jut for me, okay? Do this for me. For you - for us.” 

Your eyes fluttered closed for a moment and he felt panic rise, felt his hope fall away as he feared you had slipped through his fingers – but you opened them again, and he saw a bit of colour returning. 

You were fighting. 

Your lips parted again but this time, though your voice weak and wavering, you uttered his name. 

“I’m here! I’m here. Stay awake now, all right? Just keep looking at me!” 

He locked his gaze with yours and saw the pain swirling behind the dancing shades of your irises; but he saw determination too. He saw the bravery as you fought against Death himself, the perseverance as you ignored how Darkness tried to sink its claws into your being. He saw the patience as you knew you only needed to stall time for the ambulance crew to take over and the kindness as you looked up at him, the corners of your mouth twitching up slightly in an attempt to send him a reassuring smile – he smiled back. He saw all the colours of your Soul bloom in a final attempt to stay alive. 

His tears flowed freely and his shoulders could not be stopped from shaking, nor his throat from clenching tight. His hands started trembling and the sobs escaped right through his will to hold them back. He needed to be strong. For you. He needed to reassure you that everything would be all right.

Even though he didn’t know if it would. 

 

You fought so hard but it felt useless.  
You tried to swim to the surface as but got dragged down again by the undercurrent. Grillby was there, you knew it – you could see him. But you couldn’t feel his hands on your wounds, or his tears falling on exposed skin. Not only the pain but every other feeling in your body had dulled to a soft thrumming in the back of your mind, like a headache yet to come. You still felt your Soul as it urged you to stay awake, to keep your eyes open, to focus on the man who tried to keep you alive with such desperation you would have smiled if you had been able to. And you tried. And tried. And tried. Pulled back by deep waters you felt yourself drown, air escaping your lungs only for it to be left empty, and somewhere else you heard him shout, but the words were inaudible. 

Another face joined and you thought to feel two other hands, cooler, pressing down on you, on your shoulders. This voice was closer, and if you focussed a bit more you heard the words like distant whispering. 

”Come on Punk, don’t you dare slip away! I’m going to personally murder you if you do, you hear me?”

The face looked up and beyond, to something out of your slowly blurring line of sight. You could hear something – music, maybe? An orchestra, up for their crescendo, until suddenly joined by shifting lights that were too bright for your pounding head to cope with.  
More hands on you now, a loss of weight, then twice as heavy. Louder music, painfully loud, bashing against your eardrums as you tried to block it out. Voices like muttered songs in a language you didn’t quite understand even though you knew you should.  
Where were you? But were you, still, or had you ceased to be before you’d had the chance to notice?

“Stay awake!”

Grillby. He still existed. He was there. Yes, you thought, a peaceful smile forming on your lips, he was there. 

” _Fuck_ , ____, please! Stay with me!” 

You wanted to chuckle – it was your line after all – but your throat seemed to collapse and you panicked, shadows wrapping themselves around your body. You swat them away, hitting and kicking at the void as if you still had energy left. 

_Keep fighting. Your dues have been paid. It is up to you to return._

A voice unknown to you, closer than any of the white noise in the background but worlds away. Clear like glass yet troubled like flowing water, more felt than heard.  
And you trusted it.  
You didn’t question its nonexistence, nor the surreality of the person it belonged to. But there was nothing left for you to do. 

So you cried. 

You cried for BP, for Papyrus and Sans, for Undyne and Alphys. You cried for your parents, your family, for all the people you had known and those that had known you in return. For the goodhearted strangers you had met on the streets, for the people you had admired from a distance. You cried for the body you had lost, the future that had been taken from you, the past that held no meaning now.  
But most of all you cried for Grillby, for the voice you would hear no more or the arms you would never feel around your waist again. You would never see him smile, or taste his lips in a sweet kiss that conveyed your feelings for each other without words. 

You cried as you wouldn’t be anyone any longer.  
You cried, as you would be alone again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments will recharge my writing energy, kudos will make me actually do some shit I need to get done oh my god what am I doing with my life send help <3
> 
> So yeah. Happy death day!


	31. A Second Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone has wounds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 900 kudos! *runs around screaming* 900 KUDOS that's just crazy, holy shit. 
> 
> Please enjoy, my lovely Readers <3

They gently pushed him away and he stumbled backwards, only just able to keep himself standing as he absently watched them get into the ambulance, his eyes were still fixed on you. He called your name over and over, hoping you would hear him – begging you to open your eyes and to look at him. The ambulance crew seemed so calm, as if they didn’t know it was you laying beneath their hands. You, who he cared so much about.  
Who he loved. 

A woman tried to calm him down; hands raised, voice low. But he wasn’t angry. He wasn’t throwing a fit, flames raging high at the sight of your motionless body – he just stood there, behind the ambulance, staring at you and calling your name as he began to run out of tears to shed. Telling you over and over that he loved you until his voice broke and left him, and he was silenced. 

He got pulled away and you disappeared behind the closing doors. Another pair of hands, more friendly now. 

“Grillby, Sans isn’t answering his phone. We’ll need to take Papyrus’ car to the hospital.” Undyne gave another soft tug on his shoulders, urging him to come with her, but he barely heard her. Despair had taken over his Soul. 

Undyne turned to Papyrus instead, who still had the man locked in his tight grasp. “I called the police a while ago, but they take a bit longer than the ambulance crew to arrive. Can you stay here and deliver that piece of shit to them? I’ll take Grillby to the hospital.” 

The skeleton nodded and threw her the car keys, which she caught in one hand. “GET GRILLBY TO THE HOSPITAL, I’LL MAKE SURE HE," he shot a deadly look towards the man wriggling in his grasp, "ENDS UP WHERE HE BELONGS. SEND A MESSAGE WHEN YOU’VE ARRIVED, PLEASE? I’LL COME TO THE HOSPITAL AS WELL, BUT IT MIGHT TAKE A WHILE.” 

Undyne nodded as well, and turned her gaze back to the distressed man of fire. She let out a soft sigh, not even able to imagine what he must be going through; yet she knew what needed to be done. She grabbed the elemental’s arm and started speed walking, pulling him along as she dashed towards the skelebro’s house, and Grillby, unable to do anything else than comply, followed suit. He must have realised that doing nothing and wallowing in anguish wouldn’t do anyone good because he sped up, outran her, and forced her to pick up her speed as her hand slipped from his wrist. He ran as if it was the last thing he did, with such determination that she felt her hope flare back up. There was still a chance the ambulance could get you there in time, that you survived this all. But the hospital was on the other side of town and it would take the vehicle much longer than Sans’ teleportation would have. 

On the topic of Sans - if that skeleton didn’t show up any second now she was going to find him and kill him. 

But he didn’t show up, and it took them another twenty minutes of getting to the car and driving to the hospital before they finally arrived at the rectangular, ten-story high building.  
They ran inside and Grillby asked the first person they saw if he knew where they had taken you, if you were still alive, if he could see you; but the man demandingly requested them to wait in the designated area without answering any of his questions. 

Grillby moved his hands through the flames atop of his head. The sterile colours laughed at him, swirled around him as he nearly sank through his knees. He felt Undyne pulling him back up and supporting him as they walked to the uncomfortable chairs in the waiting room, but it wasn’t quite real to him anymore. Nothing was real. 

He was lost. 

He begged the Gods – any God, every God – for you to return to him. He begged the Universe, begged Death himself to bring you back. To let him love you more thoroughly, to allow him to do you better. He would take better care of you, give you all the attention your heart desired. He would do anything for a second chance. 

But reality wasn’t kind like that, the Universe rarely so giving. You were dead. Gone. And it was his fault. If he had paid more attention, had hired someone to watch the alley, had stayed at your side, you would still - 

Undyne was talking to him but he didn’t hear her. The world around him was dulling as he tried to push back the grief, to push back the pain, and for a moment he wondered if the gossamer cracks in his Soul had finally caused it to collapse; if your death had been the last straw. He didn’t dare to look.

But he hadn’t turned to dust yet, and therefore was cursed to keep living. 

He locked his sadness behind walls of steel and concrete, buried his anger beneath layers of stone. His happiness had slipped through his fingers the moment you had, and everything else had bled out of him with the rest of it, leaving nothing but an empty space, a gaping hole, a black void.  
He shouldn’t have met you, he shouldn’t have fallen in love with you – and he shouldn’t have left that mark on your skin in the moment of purest passion. His selfishness had sealed your destiny. It was his fault you were dead.

 

-

 

“S-Sans!”

She hurried over to him, eyes wide in fear as she watched him thrash on the cold, hard floor of her sun-lit lab. His eye sockets went dark and he lost control over his magic, equipment and machinery floating off into the air in a glow of bright cerulean.

She needed to get the antidote, and quick. 

She bolted towards the shelf filled with books, bottles, and Erlenmeyer flasks , but the moment she reached for the red pills they floated up and out of her reach. She jumped, grabbed the shelf and desperately tried to pull herself up, but she was too small, too weak to reach high enough, and the bottle went higher and higher. 

Sans was going to die, and it was all her fault. 

Suddenly a hand wrapped around the bottle and brought it down, and she met the bright, worry-filled eyes of her recently hired assistant. The two of them rushed back to the skeleton and while she held him down, Alphys opened the container with shaking fingers and forced the pills into his froth-laced mouth. There was no way she could make him ‘swallow’, but she hoped his magic, if not his Soul, would know to absorb them. 

They tried to avoid as many of the flying objects while also trying to keep his body to the ground, but his bones shook beneath their hands and it was hard to focus on both things - 

A sudden cry pulled her attention to her assistant and saw how a scalpel had left a deep cut in her arm, red blood like a thin waterfall causing Alphys’ stomach to twist violently, the urge to gag rising when the copper-like smell reached her sensitive nose. 

“A-a-are you all right?!” 

She nodded and focussed her attention on Sans again, visibly trying to ignore the pain. The cut wasn’t too severe, it had only left a thin, clean slit in the Cephalic vein if she diagnosed correctly. From what she had learned about human biology the vein should be able to heal itself quite quickly, and treatment wasn’t crucial to her assistant’s survival. As soon as this was over – ending either in Sans calming down or dying – they would need to clean it and bandage it, and she would be fine. It seemed like her assistant had realised this as well.

Alphys saw - from her peripheral vision – the flying objects losing its speed, the blue glow vanishing, and she knew what that meant. 

“C-cover your head!” 

“What about Sans?” 

“Watch out!” 

The objects started raining down and clattered loudly on the tiles around them and Alphys had to jump away to avoid her computer smashing into her. Her assistant, still holding Sans to the ground with a determined look in her eyes, tried to dodge the stuff as well as possible, but let them hit her if it meant she had to let go to get out of the way. Alphys felt a rush of admiration – she was so strong, so brave, so focussed to keep the skeleton away from any harm, hovering over his fragile body and letting the 1000-page hardcover science books hit _her_ instead while Alphys sat a couple of feet away, taking cover under her desk with her arms over her head.

This was how it always ended, wasn’t it? Alphys hiding in a dark corner while others did what she should be doing instead, while others risk their health and maybe even their lives for the people she cared about - 

Oh no - 

“W-watch out, t-t-the microwave!” 

But when her assistant turned her head to look was too late for her to duck, and Alphys closed her eyes as she waited for the inevitable impact of metal and skull. 

It didn’t come. 

She opened her eyes, slowly, only to let out a long sigh of relief at the sight in front of her.  
Sans had one arm around her while the palm of his other hand faced towards the device that now hovered in mid-air, covered in that tell-tale colour of his personal magic.

She then realised that not only her assistant was still alive – Sans as well. She hurried to her feet and raced over to the two of them. 

“A-are b-both of you okay? I’m so sorry!” 

Sans let go of her and Alphys noticed how his white pinpricks lingered on her for a moment, expression unreadable, before he met Alphys’ own gaze again and she was pulled back to the current situation.

“i’m fine, still alive and all. thanks alphys – both of you, actually, for saving my life.” 

Alphys averted her gaze and wrung her hands together awkwardly, a familiar pain twisting in her chest. “I’m the one who caused the seizure in the first place.” She hoped her voice had been too soft for him to hear, but, as expected, it hadn't been. 

“no, alphys, it was my fault. i was – i ... it just wasn’t your fault, ok?” 

She wanted to object but the sound of a received message interrupted her, and Sans’ attention was pulled towards his phone. His eye sockets went wide and for a second she saw so much emotion in his eyes that it overwhelmed her, caused her heart to contract painfully, and left her dumbstruck. 

“i have to go.”

She found her voice again. “I-I still need to check i-if the seizure didn’t leave any chronic d-damage on your Soul –“ 

“i’ll be back later.” 

And he was gone. 

-

 

He didn’t know how long he had sat there, head in his hands, flames dim, letting the absence of colour lull him into a sense of timelessness; but his shoulders felt stiff and his back painful. His body screamed for him to lie down, to get some rest, to let surreality take his thoughts away for a moment. But he couldn’t. He needed... he... He didn’t know what he needed. Certainty, maybe , or a definite end. A last goodbye. 

And as if Fate had accepted his prayer he heard footsteps approaching, and lifted his gaze to meet the doctor’s. 

“Are you Grillby?” 

He nodded, and suddenly a smile breached on the man’s face. 

 

“She asked for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments fill me with _determination_ , kudos keep me _brave_ <3
> 
> I have no idea when I'll be able to upload the new chapter, but I hope it will be before next Sunday!


	32. Alive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All is well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For a moment I feared I wouldn't be able to upload today, like I said I would, but here it is! Please tell me if you see any typos or weird-looking sentences; I haven't had the chance to check this chapter yet. 
> 
> I really hope this fic reaches a thousand kudos! Thank you so much if you left a kudos or a comment, I appreciate it more than you might realise! <3
> 
>  
> 
> I don't know if I'll be able to upload the next chapter on a sunday again, though; it might take a little longer. Please enjoy this chapter for now uwu

A sudden rush of emotions hit him like a wave and he stood up like lightning, tears running down his face once more as he dashed past the doctor, who quickly told him the right room. He burst through the doors and into the hall like a hurricane, eyes scanning the numbers with such swiftness it nearly made his head spin – but he pushed on, nearly falling as he ran faster than ever before, his heart pounding violently in his chest. He spotted the number and sprinted towards the door, slamming it open as soon as he reached it.

And he froze. 

Your smile sent him choking in another typhoon of emotion and for a moment he felt unable to fill his lungs, happiness taking over every fibre of his being. He tried to wipe away his tears with the back of his hand but they kept coming and he was forced to give up. It was a lost battle.  
So he made his way to your bedside instead – to you, to your lips, and kissed you like the world was going to end.  
He leaned his forehead against yours for a moment, eyes closed as he absorbed every detail he had nearly lost - your skin on his, your soft breathing, your smell and your lingering taste – before reluctantly pulling back and sitting down in the chair next to the hospital bed. 

Your skin was still lacking its healthy colours but your eyes stood bright, and so full of life. You were alive. He thanked the Gods, for you were alive. 

You reached out for him with the closest hand and it was obvious it cost you quite a lot of effort, so he quickly reached out himself and curled his fingers around yours; careful, tenderly, almost as if he was afraid you would die anyway if he squeezed too tight.  
There was a weird, small device stuck to your finger, and when he let his gaze wander further he noticed you were attached to even more complicated-looking machinery. The beeping of your steady heartbeat filled the space around you, and the two nurses, composure regained after the initial shock of a man made of fire bursting into the room, went back to checking the settings and displays. 

He brought your hand to his lips and kissed it, kissed it again, and again, until your soft giggle interrupted him. His Soul fluttered violently with the purest joy – oh how he drank in the sound he never thought he would hear again. But your face scrunched up in pain and the giggle died on your lips, only to be replaced by a soft sigh. 

He turned his glance towards the nurses. “She’ll be all right?” 

One looked a bit startled at his sudden words but the other, a skin fair and coloured like molten chocolate, sent him an endearing look and answered his question without restraint. “She’ll be fine. They cleaned her wounds and stitched her up; the only thing she needs to do is rest, drink well, eat enough, and be loved.” She winked, before continuing. “She was very lucky though, and very tough as well. I’ve seen many others with the same or even less severe wounds pass away.” 

The first nurse seemed to regain a bit of her confidence and nodded. “She fought hard, which kept her alive before the team arrived at the hospital.” 

 

The second nurse nodded as well. “We’ll keep her here for three weeks, to see if she heals well, and then you’ll be allowed to take her home.” She wrote something down on the medical clipboard. “They will take the stitches out after a while but you’ll still have to keep a close eye on her; there’s always a chance that the wound will re-open and get infected. Just take her back to the hospital when that happens.” 

“The scars will be nearly invisible, though.” The first added.

Grillby nodded, and they left to grant the two of you some privacy. He focussed his gaze back on yours. Back on your gentle smile. 

“The doctors said I was gone for thirty seconds.” 

His eyes grew wider. “Do you... do you remember anything?” 

You thought for a moment, glance a bit hazy, until you gave a slight nod. “I cried, I think, and then I fought like hell to get back. It was like... I can’t describe it.” 

_You dug your nails into anything you could hold on to, pulling yourself back to where you felt like you belonged. You didn’t care if the Universe’s claws ripped right through you, you didn’t care if the Unknown pierced your substanceless being. You needed to get back. You needed to feel again. You needed to_ live.

“It was like... digging, maybe – or swimming. In emptiness. Like being dragged through mud you can’t feel or see and you don’t need to breathe.” You lifted your free hand to make a nondescript gesture but let it fall to your side again when your energy level dropped, so you gave up trying to explain what you had experienced and gave a soft sigh instead. You were so tired you felt like you could sleep for weeks, maybe months. 

 

He noticed how your eyelids began to fall, and how you desperately tried to keep them open. 

“Rest.” 

“I want to talk to you.” 

He sighed, still smiling. Even with two stitched-up holes in your body you were still as stubborn as ever. His mind returned to the night the two of you had discussed who would take the bed and who would take the sofa – the stubbornness of both of you made the discussion so pointless that both of you eventually ended up in the same bed. That had only been five days ago. 

“We can talk when you’re rested. I’ll stay here – if they let me, of course.” 

Your gaze moved over his face for a moment, looking as if you were near crying, until your lips slowly pulled up in a soft smirk. “I didn’t even need to ask you this time. To stay, I mean.” 

He chuckled and copied your smirk, fondness blooming so brightly in his heart he hoped you could feel it. “We’re a thing now, remember?” His eyes got a playful glint. “I’ll stay even if you don’t want me to, annoy you to death with my presence.” 

“Good, because I don’t ever want you to leave.” 

Both of you fell silent, blushes creeping on wide-eyed faces, and you realized you had just sort of asked to keep living with him forever. It was like indirectly asking someone to marry you. Fuck, ten minutes after waking up from a near-death experience and you were already making things awkward – you should have seen it coming, honestly. 

You quickly tried to change the subject. “T-tell me something.” You wanted to hear his voice again. 

He frowned in response, the awkwardness apparently forgotten. “What would you like to hear? I don’t have any books with me or-“ 

“Anything. It doesn’t matter what; I don’t care if you read the freaking weather report out loud. Just... talk.” 

And so he did. He talked about anything he could come up with, made up silly stories that made you smile and described the scenery he saw through the large window. It wasn’t long before your eyes slowly fell shut and your breathing evened, the fingers he held relaxing. He watched you for a while, still holding onto your hand and rubbing soothing circles into your skin. 

_I don’t ever want you to leave._

Could it be? Could it be that you returned his feelings? Sure, he knew you liked him, in a way one likes a boyfriend or girlfriend, but he knew his own feelings were rooted more deeply inside of his being. The mere thought of you made his Soul ache to bond and his heart contract with all its might. Could it be that you loved him as much as he loved you?  
Maybe it was just the overdose of emotion – you had just _died_ for thirty seconds, after all. He could only imagine how afraid you must have been to lose it all, to lose everyone you care about, and figured it must have been even stronger than his fear of losing you; therefore it was only logical that you wanted him to stay. That fear was still present. You clung to everything and everyone around you as death had made you realise even more clearly how much you liked to live. 

His heart sank a bit but he ignored it. This was a time to be happy, to celebrate, and definitely not the time to let his ego drag him down. You liked him, shouldn’t that be enough? Hell, you being _alive_ should be enough. 

But maybe later, in a couple of months, if you were still around, he could...  
No. It was not the time to think about these things. 

 

The nurses returned and allowed him to stay but suggested he took a room in the hotel nearby or visited at set times during the day. They would take good care of you, nothing would happen while he was away – it was safe for him to go back to work or take care of the kids. Grillby blushed at this but was able to stammer a thank you, and allowed his thoughts to wander all the way back to his bar in the monster district. It was true; they wouldn’t allow anything to happen to you and he couldn’t keep his bar closed for three whole weeks – yet he still felt reluctant to leave you. Hadn’t he just promised to stay?  
But if he kept his bar closed he would run a loss, and he wouldn’t be able to take care of you when he took you home. There was still the rent, however little, that he needed to pay for, the facilities, insurances, taxes – Gods, sometimes he hated how everything was based on money and money only. So there was no choice for him but to get back to work soon.  
Yet tonight he would stay, as promised. They didn’t have a spare bed – all needed for other patients and in case of emergencies et cetera – but he could keep the chair. 

 

Sans waited until the two nurses were gone before teleporting himself out of the waiting area and into the room where you were sleeping peacefully, mechanical heartbeat mixing with the dust as it swirled in the afternoon sun. He hoped Grillby wouldn’t notice his entrance, maybe he could still leave and apologise later- but of course the elemental knew, and turned to face him.  
He was unsure of what to say, where to begin. Would a normal apology suffice? He didn’t think it would. 

He took a deep breath. “is she... will she be all right?” 

His friend nodded, but kept quiet; the look in his eyes something that Sans couldn’t translate. It seemed as if he was figuring out what he was feeling; what was rational to feel and what was only his emotions playing with him. Sans appreciated that. He appreciated the fair treatment – even if he didn’t deserve it. He knew that, because of him, you had nearly died; and that, if he had been there, if he hadn’t been so _fucking careless_ , he could have prevented it all. He could have prevented you from getting stabbed in the first place. He shouldn’t have suggested those pills in the first place – he shouldn’t have fallen in love with you in the first place. Wow, his fuck-ups went a long way back, didn’t they?  
He hated himself.

And so he forced himself to acknowledge everything he had done wrong and accepted that there was no going back – Frisk wasn’t able to reset anymore anyway. Sometimes he wished they hadn’t lost that ability the moment the barrier broke. He took another deep breath, met his gaze, and spoke. 

“i’m sorry, grillby. i should have been there, i should have come to-“ his voice broke, and died in silence. He felt like crying yet no tears appeared, felt like yelling yet his voice didn’t return.

But his friend nodded, his face earnest yet the look in his eyes forgiving now. “It’s okay.” He let out a soft sigh. He sounded tired. “It’s not my forgiveness you seek, though.” He meaningfully shifted his gaze to you, and Sans’ followed. 

He was right. It was you, whose life he had put on the line, who he needed to ask – no, _beg_ for forgiveness – if you would even grant him that much. He wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t.  
Suddenly he realized something, and his heart sunk: he would need to explain himself, wouldn’t he? He would have to confess his feelings for you, confess how he took pills to keep himself from feeling things, and how he had taken too many because his heart couldn't bear the thought of you loving someone else.  
But you deserved to know. 

“i’ll... i’ll come back later, then. if that is all right with you.” 

Grillby nodded again. A last glance of goodbye was exchanged before the air shifted, and the skeleton was gone.

A while later Undyne and Papyrus came by as well, slightly disappointed to notice you were sound asleep, and he informed them of his nightly stay at the hospital – to which Papyrus responded with the promise to bring him breakfast spaghetti in the morning. They left again with faces of tired relief, and he couldn’t agree more. This whole ordeal had drained him, both physically and emotionally, and he felt his eyes getting heavier with every breath he took; but you were safe, alive, and with him again. All was well. 

And so he slept soundly that night, his head on the hospital mattress and his fingers laced together with yours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments keep me unexpectedly reaching deadlines, kudos keep the deadlines reachable lol <3
> 
> Me and Bluenightingalee made a thing:  
> http://feelingwonderfultoday.tumblr.com/post/150904461779/i-coloured-bluenightingalees-lines-my-god-how
> 
> Motorcyclist!Grillby ! Fuck I love him so much. I need a Grillby in my life, so so bad. 
> 
> Oh, btw! @ fuck_all_good_names_are_taken, I think you left a comment? I can't find it though :/ I got like a notification that you had responded but like a second after I got it, it disappeared, and I just can't seem to find it. If you really left a comment somewhere, please post it again or send me the link! I would hate for a comment to go unanswered uwu


	33. I Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which tears are shed, and a promise is made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow look at me! Uploading a day before the deadline! I'm so proud of myself :'D  
> Only 7 more kudos until this fic reaches a thousand! That's unbelievable! 
> 
> Please enjoy one of the last chapters of this fic!

Grillby awoke before you did, the sounds of the working nurses pulling the dream from his mind. They desperately tried to keep quiet, he knew that, but he had always been a light sleeper; so he greeted them with a smile and softly asked if you were doing all right. 

The black haired, brown eyed lady answered with a nod and a smile of her own, an endearing look in her eyes. He was grateful for that. He hadn’t really expected anything and the outspoken kindness towards his species surprised him – especially now that they knew of his relationship with you. No weird glances, disgusted looks or secret sneers behind his back. Just polite nods and warm glances.  
He could easily imagine all kinds of worst-case scenarios; in which they would send him away or keep you locked up and out of his reach, trying to keep a monster like him out of this building for humans. Lame excuses like ‘you’ll turn on the sprinklers’ to hide their obvious dislike of monsterkind.  
But this, this was more than he could have hoped for, and he audibly – but softly – thanked the nurses. 

After accepting their even wider smiles his heart suddenly sank at a realisation: he hadn’t informed anyone else about the fact that he had found you, and, knowing his patrons, it was very plausible that they had been searching all night – and still were. He messaged Undyne - with slight struggle as one hand was still holding yours – and hoped that either she or Papyrus had let everyone know. 

His attention then got pulled back to you as you shifted ever so slightly beneath the sheets, eyes slowly blinking open and adjusting to the morning light. His heart drowned in emotion as he felt _so happy_ to be able to see this again, the warmth of your fingers a sweet relief and a stark contrast to the colder, colourless body he had held in his arms only hours ago. He felt more protective of you than ever, and a certain possessiveness had crept into his being ever since he had heard someone else proclaim his love for you. Of course it was wrong of him to feel this way; it wasn’t like the two of you were married or anything and you certainly weren’t something he _possessed_.

“Good morning.” He gave your hand a soft squeeze.

You squeezed back. “G’mornin’.” You rubbed the sleep from your eyes with your free hand and yawned.

“How do you feel?” 

A moment of hesitation. “Tired, still, but better. Much better. It hurts, though – I didn’t even feel it when I... when it happened.” 

Grilbly nodded. He tried to push his hate of that man away and instead tried to focus on you, on your healing.  
And he was gone anyway, now, wasn’t he? Locked up far away, never to be seen again. Or at least he hoped so. But that meant more than one thing: beside the obvious, it was now safe for you to go back to your apartment as well – you didn’t have to stay at his place any longer. 

_I don’t ever want you to leave_

Did that mean she wanted to keep living with him? Keep sharing his bed with him? Eat breakfast with him? Let him kiss her goodnight and kiss her good morning? He... He could always ask, right? Yeah, he should probably ask instead of assuming things that might not even be true. Maybe you just wanted to go back to your own place.  
He felt a soft sting in his chest, a dull ache in his heart at the thought of coming home to an empty apartment. He had grown used to your presence in those few days, and when you have lived a life of luxury it is often hard to adapt to anything less. But when should he ask? Right now, or at the end of your stay in the hospital? But he wanted to know, he _needed_ to know, so he cleared his throat and- 

“GOOD MORNING GRILLBY, GOOD MORNING HUMAN! I BROUGHT THE BREAKFAST SPAGHETTI!”

He internally sighed but forced himself to smile, and nodded at the tall skeleton. 

A smile appeared on your face as well, and you even managed to greet him with a short wave. “Good morning Papyrus!”

“I MADE EXTRA FOR YOU AS WELL!” 

“Sounds delicious!” It absolutely didn’t. You felt the urge to vomit at the sight of the melted beads and other unidentifiable plastic things, but maybe, just maybe – if it had as much magic infused as any other monster meal – it would speed up your healing process. And so you wolfed it down, too quick to taste anything but feeling the texture glide over your tongue no less, and finished within minutes. The look on Grillby’s face was beyond worry and closer to absolute horror, but Papyrus seemed pleasurably shocked; a soft, orange blush dusting his cheeks. 

“WOWIE! NO ONE HAS EVER EATEN MY MASTERLY PREPARED PASTA SO EAGERLY!”

You pushed the lingering aftertaste of violently cut tomatoes and singed noodles away. “Of course – it was made by the great Papyrus, so I can’t help it!”

And while the tall skeleton rambled on about his great cooking you focussed on your body. Was anything changing yet? Would your wounds just disappear?  
Most pain did leave in the next couple of minutes, and some energy returned, but you knew the stitched stabwounds were still there. Maybe there was only so much what magic could do.

After a while of small talk Papyrus left for work and you realized that you hadn’t seen Sans yet – causing a little sting to make its way through your chest. Of course you had no right to jump to conclusions or expect him to come and visit after you nearly died; but you thought that, as one of your best friends, he would at least send a message or something - yet your inbox was empty.  
You tried to bury all negativity and moved your attention to Grillby again, who was still looking at you as if you were the most complicated puzzle he had ever seen – or maybe as if he was waiting for horrible symptoms and mutations to manifest themselves. 

“I hoped the magic would heal me.” You sent him a slanted smile, unable to keep the disappointment out of your voice. 

His glance softened, and he let out a soft chuckle. “I don’t think one meal would be enough for that – especially since it is Papyrus’ cooking. A magic infused diet should speed up the process, however, based on our... previous findings.” He placed a kiss on your hand, not fully trying to hide the playful twinkle in his eyes. “So if there’s anything specific you want to eat, just tell me. I’ll make it.” 

You grinned, glanced at the large clock hanging on the other side of the room, and thought for a moment. “I know it’s only noon, but I’d love one of those famous burgers of yours.” 

Your body was craving fatty foods and sugary treats as it wanted to get its energy levels back to normal, and Grillby’s burger was the best you had ever had – the mere memory of the taste made your stomach growl impatiently. It sounded like the best thing since sliced bread. 

Grillby seemed confused at first, but soon a smile breached through and his flames grew brighter. “Then I’ll make you one of those famous burgers of mine.” He placed a last kiss on the back of your hand before letting go altogether, so he could get up and out of the chair. He met your gaze again. “I will need to go home to make it, but I promise I won’t be long.” 

He seemed to hesitate about whether or not he could stand to leave you alone for a while, even if it was to fulfil your request, so you tried to make the tone of your voice soothing, convincing. “Really, Grillby, I’ll be fine.” 

It seemed to work, and he nodded. You watched him smooth the wrinkles from his dress shirt and held back a giggle, until you realised he didn’t have a coat with him – he must have dashed out to search for you without even thinking about putting one on. He must have been worried sick. So you sent the monsterman in bartender outfit your warmest, most grateful smile, knowing that he deserved so much more than you could possibly give him, hoping that you could be exactly what he needed when he needed it.

He smiled back, and left. 

 

Only five minutes if not less had passed when you suddenly felt like someone was watching you, so, expecting to see one or both of your assigned nurses, you turned your gaze from the window to the doorway. 

“Sans!” A smile immediately formed on your lips, serving both as a greeting and a silent invitation to come closer. You had been too quick to judge after all. 

But he lingered, hesitated, stayed where he was for just a second too long before making his way to your bedside; his smile... empty. 

Was something wrong?

“Sans?” Your voice betrayed your worry and slight confusion at the change in his usual demeanour. It was almost physically painful to see someone who was usually cheerful, joking around and throwing puns without reserve, being on the complete other side of the spectrum; the look in his averted eyes not far from hollow. 

“hi kiddo.” 

“Is something wrong?” Maybe something happened to Papyrus or Undyne or Alphys, or maybe -

He let out a long sigh, took a deep breath, stayed silent for a moment, then met your gaze. “there’s something – uh... something you should know.” 

You studied his face, trying to figure out what it could possibly be. “What is it?” 

He paused, hesitated again. “you might not wanna be friends anymore, or even want to see me –“ 

“Sans.” 

You caught him with the tone of your voice, held him with a determined look, because if there was something that you were sure of then it was that you would always see Sans as a friend. The silly, pun-loving skeleton who had introduced you to everyone when you had felt out of place, who had brought you and Grillby together. How could he possibly be anything less?

You repeated his name to get his full attention. “You will always be a friend to me, no matter what – do you understand?” 

But he kept quiet, and for a moment you thought you saw the glistening of a forming tear. So you said it again - 

“You’ll always be my friend.” 

-and you had been right.  
Cerulean tears suddenly ran down his skull as his grin scrunched up to something heartbreaking, his phalanges forming tight fists that he hid in the pocket of his jacket. 

You panicked – should you say something? Stay silent? Ask him what was wrong or tell him that you were there for him? You couldn’t get up and hug him or even do as much as give him a pat on the shoulder; but before you could even decide on any of the other options he wiped his tears away with the back of his hand and muttered, softly, yet with so much pain in his voice it felt like the knife had pierced your heart instead. 

“i can’t do this anymore i can’t – but you have the right to know. i’m such an idiot and i-i can’t fucking-“ 

“Please, Sans, slow down-” 

"you need to know - i'm such a fucking failure and i can't even- i couldn't-"

"Sans, please - what's wrong?"

And he snapped. 

“ **i fell in love with you, _that’s_ what’s wrong!** ” He threw his hands up in the air and slowly let them fall back until his hands covered his face, his broken voice fading back to a softer volume. “and now you nearly died because i couldn’t fucking get over you like a normal person and it’s all my fault. it’s my fault you got stabbed and it’s my fault you’re here.” 

You blinked. Blinked again. You were frozen in place as you looked at him with wide eyes and lips slightly parted in disbelief. Your heart didn’t know how to react and neither did your brain and you were left dumbfounded, unable to utter even a single word. Sans continued, pinpricks averted and voice even smaller than before. 

“i didn’t notice it at first, but once i knew i couldn’t - ... so i asked alphys if she could make me something – _anything_ that could stop me from feeling that way. So she uhm... she designed pills; blue and white – a blue one to stop feeling it and a white one to keep it from coming back. and i overdosed. i fucking overdosed right when everyone needed me – when _you_ needed me – because i couldn’t just accept that you loved someone else already, and you nearly died and i’m _such_ a _fucking_ \- hey w-wha- why are you-“ 

Tears were streaming down your face as well, leaving wet, itchy stripes across your cheek. Was it worry? Pity? The way his voice sounded so broken and full of pain and self-hatred? Maybe all of it. You had never wished for Sans to be unhappy, let alone to be the _cause_ of his unhappiness. And you hadn’t even noticed it! Of course there had been moments where you thought he was hiding something, or acting a bit strange, but you hadn’t looked close enough and you hadn’t even seen in how much pain he had been – you hadn’t noticed how hurt _one of your best friends_ had been. What kind of a friend were you, then? 

And yet he had fallen in love with you, and had taken pills to get rid of his feelings. 

What were you to do? To say? Any form of rational thinking got buried by utter confusion, maybe even panic. And so you acted on instinct. 

You pulled the blanket off of your body clad in a hospital gown, pushed yourself upright and let your legs fall off the side of the bed, and, carefully, set your feet on the cold white floor. You ignored Sans’ protests, the worried look in his teary eyes, and shifted your weight until you slid off and stood. Once you were sure that your legs wouldn’t give you let go of the bed, waited for a moment still to see what Gravity would do, and when she left you alone you focussed on the skeleton before you - and set a step forward. Pain shot from your belly to all extremities of your body but you ignored it, clenched your teeth, and set another step. Sans was full-on panicking right now, eye sockets wide and protests streaming through the air as he tried to convince you to lie down again.

You set another step. Wrapped your arms around him. And cried.

He froze in your embrace, shocked, until his defence fell and he wrapped his arms around you as well. And he, too, cried. 

With tears overflowing your body grew weak once more and your legs began to wobble, but Sans kept a tight hold of you and kept you standing. Slowly both you began to run out of tears to shed and your shoulders calmed down, sobs dissipating until only breathing was left. And you found the words to say. 

“I’m so sorry, Sans. For all of this. I-I didn’t know but I should have seen you weren’t happy, I should have told you that I was there for you. Don’t blame yourself, okay? I’m glad you’re alive. If you had died overdosing because of me I would never have forgiven myself, okay? I’m so glad you’re alive. Promise me you’ll never take those pills again.” 

Sans gently let go of you and supported you to the bedside, helping you back up with his magic before sitting down on the edge of the hospital bed himself. “aren’t you mad? i almost got you killed...” 

“But I survived. And it wasn’t you who nearly got me killed, anyway – it was that obsessed dick of a stalker. And he’s gone now.” 

He stayed silent for a while, staring at the wall in front of him. “don’t you mind that i... about how i feel about you?” 

You thought for a moment, trying to figure out what you were feeling. “You’ll always be my friend, even though it might feel... different, now that I know how you feel about me. But we can work on that, right? Maybe I can help you to get over me.” You hesitated about what you were going to say next butt decided to say it anyway, though not without softening your voice and sending him an apologetic smile. “You know I don’t feel the same about you, but maybe hearing me say it might help you move on. I’m a bit flattered, though – you’re an awesome guy! And that I don’t feel the same doesn’t mean no one will. Maybe there’s someone out there who will love you more than you can possibly imagine. I truly hope so.” You wiped away a last stray tear, a soft chuckle falling over your lips. “I mean, who wouldn’t love your silly puns?” You noticed he seemed to cheer up a bit – even if it was just a tiny bit. “You deserve to be happy, Sans, and I’m sorry I can’t be the one who does that. But I’ll always be your friend, and I’ll always be here for you. So promise me you will never take those pills again – we’ll work it out together, all right? Please promise me?” 

You waited for a little while, giving it time to settle in his heart and mind. And after a while he nodded. 

 

“i promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments keep my inspiration boiling, kudos keep it from evaporating!
> 
> Hi guys, thank you so much for reading, I really mean it. The next chapter might be the last of this fic and I'm so sad to see it go - but don't worry! There will be an afterstory! It probably won't have any plot, just short one or two-chapter happenings, and maybe a general timeline, but nothing too complex or worked out. It's mostly just for me, so I can keep writing these characters. I'm actually friggin crying right now, I just loved writing this whole story and these characters will always have a place in my heart and I loved your comments and the crazy amount of kudos. I will miss this.


	34. Your Happy Ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You find your peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this took me ages. Not entirely satisfied with this chapter, but endings are just so freaking hard ;-; 
> 
> I still hope you enjoy it though!

Sans Stayed for a while, sometimes talking sometimes silent; but the silences were comfortable and the exchanging of meaningless words more than welcome. It felt like a burden had been taken off of his shoulders, and he could finally breathe again.  
Not that he could shake the emptiness and darker, deeper sadness that still clung to his Soul, trying to pull him down into the pitch black void where he had been for years – he still felt its claws tightly sunken into his being – and he was not okay, not yet, but he felt like he at least would be able to get over you and move on, maybe find the balance again that allowed him to act cheerful enough for it to be believable. 

Sure, his heart still ached for you, and for your love specifically, but you had been right – hearing you say that his feelings weren’t reciprocated had dulled the almost hopeful feeling. He had officially given up, and the ache was aching less.  
It didn’t feel as much of a relief as he hoped it would have, though – maybe he had given up one too many times for it still to be rewarding, for it still to be clean of negative connotations. Maybe losing hope once again was exactly what he _didn’t_ need. 

Because once more the only thing worth living for was his brother (and maybe your friendship if he could get over you soon enough) and he had moved on without him. He had gotten a job, had joined the theatre club, followed Undyne’s weekly cooking lessons, and still trained for the Royal Guard almost every day. There was no room for Sans left in his routines and schemes, no time for just chilling on the couch or watching silly cooking shows together.  
Maybe Papyrus wouldn’t even notice if he disappeared. Maybe no one would. 

He felt his heart growing heavy and his thoughts turning black, so he thanked you – sincerely – and promised to visit more often. He slid off the hospital bed and sent you a last, weak smile, before the void embraced him, took him away; and he was alone again. 

 

You let out a soft sigh, closing your puffy eyes to grant them some rest. Your fingers found their way to your tearstained cheeks and you wiped away any trace of what had just happened. Grillby didn’t need to know about this – not yet. Not now. Sans needed time to move on and Grillby needed time to rest, to let go of his worries and to find his rhythm again.  
So when the fire elemental entered you smiled at him like any other time; and at the sight of the paper bag in his hand Sans was soon forgotten. 

“I hope the waiting was worth it.” 

He handed you your order and sat down on the bed, smiling a bit nervously as if he feared it wouldn’t meet your standards – which, of course, was completely irrational. You knew it would taste great, as it always did, and once again you were right – the first bite only awakened your hunger further and you were embarrassed to admit you nearly shoved the whole thing into your mouth. It probably looked utterly ridiculous, if not pretty disgusting, but instead of frowning in repulsion Grillby seemed to burn even brighter than before. 

Once the last bite had been swallowed and the taste had been thoroughly savoured, you returned your eternally grateful gaze back to your personal cook and sent him a smile of pure satisfaction. 

“It was amazing. Thank you.” 

 

Undyne came over later that afternoon, accompanied by her fiancée and a large bouquet of flowers. Alphys was up to date with what had happened and no explanations were needed, just shared glances, and enough time was left to talk about their upcoming wedding. Okay, it was still more than a month away, but the couple was so excited that they invited the two of you right then and there. 

“You two punks are invited as well! There will be cake and dancing and good music, and it will be just like in an anime!” 

Alphys smiled at that and nodded. “I-it’ll be fun, I promise.”

Your eyes went wide with delight and you couldn’t help but feel excited, and thankful as well. “Sounds great! I’d love to be there. Thank you for the invitation - it really means a lot to me.” 

“O-o-of course! You’re our friend.” 

“And maybe it’ll give you two nerds some inspiration as well!” Undyne’s toothy grin was, as always, incredibly wide; with a teasing glimmer in her uncovered eye. Luckily for you her soon-to-be-wife responded before you had even had the chance to turn red. 

“U-Undyne! They have only been together f-f-or two days!” 

“Who cares when it’s true love! Don’t you remember that anime in which they, like, marry a day after they’ve met? Grillby is obviously ready to bond-“ 

“B-but this is not an anime – humans take longer t-than monsters to form a bond and m-marry. I haven’t studied it thoroughly yet b-but their Soul needs more time, p-possibly because they are m-more powerful and consist o-of other things than love and magic and-“ 

“All right, all right.” She turned to you, glancing you over before another smile pulled at the corners of her lips. “But we better be invited!” 

You blinked, unsure what to say. You had been watching the quarrel in a slight daze and honestly had missed half of what they had said as your thoughts had taken a whole other direction. But before you could find your voice to say something Alphys had already apologised and announced their leaving. 

“W-we’ll come over soon again!” 

“Oh hey, should we just hold our clubmeeting here?” Undyne met your gaze, then shifted her eyes to the devices you were attached to, and her confidence fell a little – but you quickly found your voice again and responded with enthusiasm. 

“That’s a great idea! Could you bring me a copy of the script as well? I might not be able to act much at the moment but I can still practice my lines.” 

Grillby, only just recovered from his own daze, shot you a slightly worried look – but you answered it with a comforting smile and a confident glance of your own. “It’s okay. It’ll be nice to have some distraction, and I promise I won’t tire myself too much.” 

His expression grew a bit softer, even though his worry was still evident from the way his eyes lingered and his flames swayed, but he gave a nod anyway and intertwined his fingers with yours on the cool sheets. 

Undyne smiled again, even wider than before. “Sure punk! I think BP will visit today as well, but otherwise we’ll tell him. See ya tomorrow!” 

 

Grillby stayed silent for a moment until he knew for sure the two were out of earshot. “Are you sure? You need to rest, so your wounds can heal.” 

“It’ll be fine. It’s only once a week, and if it becomes too much I’ll tell them.” 

He glanced at you, as if he was trying to figure something out. “If it isn’t the club meeting, then what is on your mind? You seem troubled.” 

You fell silent. Had it really been that easy for him to see through you like that? It was true, your mind had wandered and arrived at a station of uncertainty: bonding. It had been mentioned a few times since others had started to notice your feelings for the bartender, and now Undyne had mentioned that Grillby was ‘obviously ready’ for it. You glanced at his fingers between yours and gave them a soft squeeze, which earned you a questioning, but patient, look. Yet you still hesitated. 

Would it be weird to talk about? Yes, you were curious, but maybe you being patient yourself would solve the puzzle this time. Maybe being patient for once would be rewarded with an answer.  
And what would it change, anyway? You had officially become a ‘thing’ only two days ago – just like Alphys had mentioned – and you were already living together. Well, had been. But wasn’t that fast enough? What if you bonded with Grillby, but he changed his mind? Would he be stuck with you forever? 

The soft sound of your name being spoken with his baritone voice gently pulled you back into reality. The look in his eyes was kind, the warmth of his hand reassuring. It was safe to say whatever was on your mind and he wouldn’t judge - he was here to support you, to comfort you if needed. It was more than enough to give you the confidence to speak. 

“Well, I noticed that some others... uhm... they mentioned... bonding? And stuff? And that – you know – that you... might want to... you know. Ehm. Bond. Because you form, like... emotional connections? More easily?” 

You didn’t dare to look him straight in his eyes but if you had, you would have seen the amusement and thorough fondness adding to the kindness and patience. 

“Monsters do get... attached... to someone else more easily than humans do, and sooner feel ready to bind their Soul to their chosen partner.” He couldn’t stop the blue from creeping into his flames. “This includes me as well.”A short pause as he tried to calm his nerves. Trying once to clear his throat. Failing. Trying another time. “Yes, I feel ready to give you my Soul – but this also means that I will wait for you, no matter how long it takes you to feel the same. If that feeling ever comes at all. If... if you change your mind, and this ‘thing’ we have ends, you’re free to leave. You’re free to leave whenever you want.” 

His heart shuddered painfully at the thought of you leaving, and pleasurably at the thought of binding his Soul to yours – but he would wait as long as necessary. He was content with all that you had given him so far, and your affection would be enough for a lifetime. To ask for your Soul would only be selfish. 

“So... What happens when we bond? What’s different afterwards?” Your eyes were still focussed on your fumbling fingers. 

He smiled, his blush growing deeper, but he forced himself to give you a clear answer; so he swallowed his nerves as much as he could and spoke. “When two monsters bond, their Souls become connected. This has multiple effects. For one, I think it makes both Souls stronger and makes hurt, grief, and other negative feelings easier to cope with. Secondly, it makes both monsters compatible for,“ he cleared his throat again, “having children, and thirdly –“ He stopped for just a fraction of a second, to find his own courage. “-it increases the pleasure both of them feel during Soulplay and ‘regular’ lovemaking. I... I don’t quite know what other effects there might be if a... if a monster and a human bond.” 

But he was definitely willing to find out. 

He quickly shook that thought from his head and forced himself to look at you; and apparently you had forced yourself to do the same thing – your gazes locked. Had this explanation been enough to tell you he loved you? Should he say it out loud? He didn’t want to pressure you into anything. But your gaze turned to slight confusion, and when you spoke, it wasn’t what he had expected to hear. What had he expected to hear, anyway?

“...What’s Soulplay? I mean I can kinda guess but-” 

He snorted, quickly covering his mouth with his free hand as he held back a laugh. You tried to act offended but the sudden loss of his composure sent giggles bubbling up in your chest that were difficult to keep under control, and so the mean look on your face was compromised with a smile tugging on your lips. 

“What? It’s not like humans know that stuff anyway! How should I know there’s like a ‘not-regular’ way to have sex? I didn’t even know I had a Soul until like two weeks ago; and then suddenly someone tells me they have a freaking colour as well? And now you can have sex with it?” 

Grillby had now fully lost his composure, his hand covering his face as his laugh filled the room. He shook his head at the silliness of the whole situation and tried to calm his shaking shoulders. You pouted at him, trying to keep the corners of your mouth down, but he paid no attention to it - instead he moved his hand from his own face to yours, softly taking hold of your chin, and you could feel his smirk as he kissed you.

When he pulled back to let you breathe the look in his eyes was darker, his grin more than just playful, and the tone of his voice dark enough to send shivers down your spine. 

“ _I’ll show you sometime._ ” 

He let go of your hand en stood up, smoothing the wrinkles out of his white dress shirt as a last chuckle escaped him. “But for now I have to go open the bar, and you have to go and rest.” Slight worry crept into his eyes again before he continued, and his voice softened. “If there’s anything you need, just call me. I’ll be here as soon as I can.”

You smiled back at him, the deep blush still on your face. “I will. Now go, your patrons are waiting.” A wink to make sure the worry would leave his posture, and a small tap of your index finger to your lips, so he would give you one last kiss before he left. And he did. You watched him go with fondness blooming in your heart.

 

It was BP’s turn to poke his head around the doorframe, ears perking up the moment he spotted you. 

“Hey, bud. I heard what happened. I helped search for you, you know.” 

“You did?” 

“Almost the whole monster district did. I’m glad they found you alive.” There was a sincerity in his eyes that showed how horribly worried he had been when he had heard you had been kidnapped, and you could feel tears rising again. Wow, you really were emotional when stabbed, weren’t you?

“So many monsters searched for me? But half of them don’t even know me that well-“ 

“But they know who you are and that you and Grillby are in love, so you can’t be anything but kind. And besides, they probably know more about you than you think; rumours get around quickly in a smaller community. Of course they would search for you. You’re one of us now.”

And the dam broke. Tears spilled endlessly again but they were happy tears, and you were glad. You were so, so glad.  
BP quickly made his way over to you and stood there awkwardly for a moment, arms half raised as if he was wondering whether or not to hug you – and not much later decided to do so anyway. He stiffly embraced you and gave you a few awkward pats on your back. 

“Buddy, you all right? I’m not good with comforting people you know-” 

You tightly wrapped your arms around him and tried to speak through the sobs. “T-thank you B-B-BP, you’re the b-best f-friend I could e-ever wish for!” 

His stiffness melted away and he chuckled, and his chuckle turned into a purr. 

You snorted, and he quickly let go. “Did you just purr?” 

“N-no, I just cleared my throat-“ 

“Y-you definitely purred!” You laughed, wiping away your tears with the back of your hand. 

“Let’s pretend that never happened, okay?” 

You let out another chuckle, and he joined you. 

The conversation continued and slowly the sun fell behind the horizon, the sky beginning to turn shades of reds and pinks until those colours as well made place for the deep blue of the early night. Dinner was had, stories were swapped, and after a last exchanging of words BP left with a promise to be there early tomorrow. You watched him go, and the room was empty once more. 

But you weren’t lonely, nor cold or empty. Your pain was nothing but a small nuisance, and the silence wasn’t deafening. Your thoughts weren’t haunting you, and your body felt more comfortable than it ever had before – you felt more _you_ than you ever had before. You were accepted, respected, had many new friends that were more than you could have ever have wished for. And you were loved. Grillby, the man of flames, who would wait for you, even if it lasted an eternity. Who cared about you like no one had ever done before. And you loved him. You loved him with every fibre of your being, and you felt great – better than you had ever felt before. You had found your peace.

You had found your happy ending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Comments stop my tears from falling, and kudos help me accept that the fic has ended <3
> 
> That was it. The last chapter. Please let me know what you think, what I did well and what I should change.  
> As you might know I'll be sort of continuing this fic without plot in the Afterstory, so stay tuned for the first chapter!
> 
> Edit: The Afterstory and SansxReader are works in progress, the first chapters are already up! You can find them on my page ^-^
> 
> I want to thank every single one of you. Every person who left a comment or kudos, and every person who made fanart. Thank you all for reading and enjoying my story, I couldn't have wished for more! If you want to chat you can find me on Tumblr: feelingwonderfultoday.tumblr.com, I tag everything related to this fic, including fanart, with se bruler!  
> Honestly, I never thought my writing would ever become this popular. It really warms my heart to read all those lovely comments. I appreciate all of you so much more than you can possibly comprehend ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ I'm so sad it's over ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ send help ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡


End file.
